Cellar Favorite: 1970 Gallais Bellevue
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Jun 2019
I procured two or three bottles of the 1970 Gallais Bellevue from a Saint-Émilion retailer not because I had a clue who or what Gallais Bellevue was, but because of the name of the proprietor, Paul Delon.
Cellar Favorite: 2014 Champagne Christophe Baron Brut Nature Les Hautes Blanches Vignes
France: Champagne, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jun 2019
The 2014 Brut Nature Les Hautes Blanches Vignes is the first wine I have tasted from Christophe Baron’s new project in Champagne, and it is magnificent.
Cellar Favorite: 2006 Weingut F.X. Pichler Riesling Smaragd Unendlich
Austria, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, May 2019
Pichler’s 2006 Riesling Smaragd Unendlich (the name translates to ‘unending’) is one of the most remarkable wines – white or red – I have tasted in a long time.
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Cellar Favorite: 1992-2011 Louis Jadot Gevrey-Chambertin Clos St.-Jacques 1er Cru
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, May 2019
I feel that people sometimes look down on Jadot’s Clos Saint-Jacques because unlike the other four, it is part of a large company’s portfolio rather than a family domaine. However, in blind tastings I find it stands shoulder to shoulder with the competition.
Cellar Favorite: 1934 Cheval Blanc
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, May 2019
Naming my favorite Bordeaux château is always a difficult task, but if forced to choose my top five, I would unquestionably include the property that is Pomerol in all but classification: Cheval Blanc. The vintage that alerted me to the pedigree of Cheval Blanc’s old vintages is not the legendary 1947 nor the fabled 1921, but the 1934.
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Cellar Favorite: 1969 Caves des Liards Montlouis Demi-Sec
France: Loire, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, May 2019
Consequently, when I came across a half-century-old Montlouis from Caves des Liards at importer Yapp Brothers’ recent tasting, I didn’t know what to expect. To my pleasant surprise, I found a delicious wine that has aged as well as the top Vouvrays I have encountered.
Cellar Favorite: 2014 Domaine d’Eugénie Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, Apr 2019
I suspect that many wine lovers are unaware of the domaine’s white cuvées, which come from holdings acquired by François Pinault from Château de Puligny-Montrachet around 2012/2013.
Cellar Favorite: 2005 and 2013 Quinta do Noval: The Latest Releases
Portugal, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Apr 2019
Quinta do Noval recently released two new bottlings, their fifth Colheita Tawny Port since Christian Seely became managing director, following 1995, 1997, 2000 and 2003, plus a new Late Bottled Vintage.
Cellar Favorite: Château Latour: 2019 New Releases
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Apr 2019
These are the new releases from Château Latour, which since 2012 has released their wines only when they are deemed ready to drink rather than following the typical Bordeaux schedule for bottled wines. The exception is the 2008 Grand Vin, which is essentially being re-released this year, whereas the 2014 Pauillac and 2013 Forts de Latour have not been available previously. I tasted these wines during a visit to the property in April 2019.
Cellar Favorite: 1988 Ausone
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Apr 2019
Although the 1980s were comparatively underwhelming for Ausone, this bottle is among the most enjoyable that I have encountered from that period.