Cellar Favorite: 1996 Domaine Armand Rousseau Chambertin Grand Cru
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, Feb 2021
Whenever I need an anecdote to clarify the inflation of Burgundy prices over recent years, I tell how one Tuesday night after work, my cousin came to my tiny flat in South London for supper. Since my cousin and I go back a long way, I pulled out a bottle of 1996 Chambertin Grand Cru from Domaine Armand Rousseau.
Cellar Favorite: 2011 Saintsbury Pinot Noir Brown Ranch (magnum)
United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Feb 2021
Saintsbury was the first winery I visited in Napa Valley. Tasting the wines always brings back so many memories; both of that trip and the time I spent selling the Saintsbury Pinots in my restaurant days just after college.
Cellar Favorite: 2017 Domaine Roumier Morey-Saint-Denis Clos de la Bussière & Chambolle-Musigny Les Cras
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, Feb 2021
Together with Antonio Galloni on the other side of the Atlantic, we hosted a Vinous Learn seminar/interactive tasting that focused on Christophe Roumier’s 2017s. The event was fun and enlightening.
Cellar Favorite: 1928 Calon-Ségur
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Feb 2021
According to the Vinous database, which likes to keep a tab on these things, I have tasted 1928s from 22 Bordeaux châteaux, which is 22 more than I ever imagined.
Cellar Favorite: 2006 Castello di Monsanto Chianti Classico Riserva Il Poggio
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, Italy: Tuscany
, Feb 2021
Because of Il Poggio’s amazing ability to mature over the course of decades, this night was the first time that I decided to open a bottle of the 2006 since tasting it upon release - and I sure am glad that I did.
Cellar Favorite: 2007 Domaine Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin En Remilly 1er Cru
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, Jan 2021
One of the most memorable visits during my 2019 Burgundy marathon was with Olivier Lamy in Saint-Aubin. The tasting was held just outside the barrel cellar.
Cellar Favorite: 1967 Château d’Yquem Sauternes Premier Grand Cru
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Bordeaux
, Jan 2021
I have been fortunate to taste the legendary Château d’Yquem a number of times since the early 1980s but hadn’t had the opportunity to actually drink it in many years. That was until a generous friend brought a surprise bottle along to an indulgent Château Petrus vertical this fall, to be shared among a small group of wine lovers at the outstanding Peppercorn’s Grill in Hartford, Connecticut.
Cellar Favorite: 1961 Taylor’s Very Old Single Harvest Port
Portugal, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Jan 2021
After half-a-century, Taylor’s have just released a 1961 Very Old Single Harvest Port. The 1961 growing season was no write off.
Cellar Favorite: 2012 Domaine François Raveneau Chablis Blanchot Grand Cru
cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites, France: Burgundy
, Jan 2021
It’s always a pleasure to pull a bottle of Raveneau from the cellar. These are among my favorite wines from anywhere in the world. Of all the domaines I once covered but have since handed off to other critics at Vinous, Raveneau might very well be the one I miss visiting most, as the wines are so often transcendental.
Cellar Favorite: 1997 Marcassin Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
United States: California, cellar favorite, Cellar Favorites
, Dec 2020
Marcassin’s 1997 Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast is without a doubt one of the most compelling wines I tasted in 2020. At 23 years of age, it has aged exquisitely.