Cellar Favorite: 1947 Château Trotanoy
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Jun 2020
There is something magical about bottles of postwar Pomerol. I have been fortunate to taste a fair number, given their rarity, and always with a sense of understanding that you might never encounter it again. That is the case with the 1947 Trotanoy.
Cellar Favorite: 2001 Robert Ampeau et Fils Volnay Santenots 1er Cru
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, May 2020
As we look through the top Premier and Grand Crus of red Burgundy, the one appellation that I feel delivers a top-level experience at prices that remain reasonable is Volnay. When you couple this with the late-releasing house of Robert Ampeau, and their Premier Cru Santenots, we are really treated to something special.
Cellar Favorite: 1957 Penfolds St. Henri Claret
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Australia
, May 2020
Though Grange is Penfolds’ most famous label, that has not always been the case. Back in the late Fifties and early Sixties, their St. Henri was more popular, probably due to its being more approachable and elegant, while Max Schubert’s Grange demanded cellaring.
Cellar Favorite: 2004 Guastaferro Taurasi Primum
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Center & South
, May 2020
Knowing when to open a Taurasi is always tricky. We all hear that the wines can age on their balance of fruit, tannin, and elevated acidity but capturing a bottle in that magic moment is the challenge.
Cellar Favorite: 1985 Domaine Christophe Roumier Vosne-Romanée Les Beaumonts 1er Cru
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, May 2020
Our Cellar Favorite column is meant to bring readers’ attention towards either mature bottles currently drinking well or recent vintages worthy of laying down. This entry fits neither of those criteria.
Cellar Favorite: 2007 Carlisle Syrah Cardiac Hill Bennett Valley
United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Apr 2020
Too few people think about cellaring the Carlisle Syrahs. That’s understandable, considering that the wines’ primary fruit and intensity gives so much pleasure upon release. But it is only with cellaring that the wines start to take on the complexities and characteristics that Rhône lovers so often seek.
Cellar Favorite: 1999 Podere La Vigna Brunello di Montalcino
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Tuscany
, Apr 2020
The 1999 vintage in Montalcino has always held a special place in my heart, and for very good reason; the cool and dry growing season resulted in structured wines with balanced acidity. The hard part was waiting for them to mature.
Cellar Favorite: 2013 Naudé Old Vines Chenin Blanc
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, South Africa
, Apr 2020
Winemaker Ian Naudé is one of the unsung heroes of the South African wine scene, a quietly spoken man who shies away from the limelight and quietly goes about producing limited runs of stellar wines.
Cellar Favorite: 2012 Château Latour
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Apr 2020
What makes this bottle different is that it is cleaved from a private vertical tasting of the last 20 vintages and was one that I managed to identify correctly. Indeed, the challenge of identifying recent vintages blind is testament to Latour’s consistency.
Cellar Favorite: 1931 d’Yquem
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Mar 2020
Defying all the odds, this Sauternes provided much pleasure to a group of wine lovers, a fitting finale to a memorable Burgundy dinner. Not a success? I beg to differ.