This latest Up From the Cellar might be the largest I’ve done, and, truthfully, it should be split into multiple articles. Nevertheless, here we are. UFTC 29 is heavy in old Bordeaux, Rhônes (both North and South), and some new releases from California!
Looking at the Bordeaux, these were largely pulled from my cellar and drunk over the course of an evening over the holidays, though it also includes a number of wines I was able to taste while in Bordeaux in January that didn’t fit into any specific report. Some standouts include a handful of brilliant Angélus, with the 2009 and 2010 tasted relatively close together. These are brilliant vintages, yet I continue to favor 2009 (and that holds for the vintages as a whole as well). I had a magical bottle of 2005 Ausone that shows why this incredible terroir is so renowned. There’s also a handful of vintages from La Mission Haut-Brion, a brilliant lineup of Château Valandraud, and just a bevy of 1980s and 1990s Bordeaux. Lastly, I was also able to re-taste the latest releases from Château Latour (no real changes in viewpoint there), as well as drink a great bottle of the 1995, which was showing beautifully.
Moving to the Rhônes, the standouts come from an evening supporting the Boys and Girls Club in Napa, which featured an auction lot that was something else entirely. It’s not often you get to taste 1989 and 1990 Rayas side by side, let alone next to the same vintages of Bonneau’s Réserve des Célestins, as well as a lights-out flight of Beaucastel’s Châteauneuf du Pape Hommage à Jacques Périn (and their Roussanne Vieilles Vignes). If there’s a Vinous heaven out there, this was it. In addition, there are some great Northern Rhônes in there from Jaboulet and Chapoutier.
Looking at the releases from California, I was incredibly impressed by Dunn’s 2022s. This was a challenging vintage for Napa, but both of these wines show a beautiful sense of freshness and balance. We also have new Rhone blends from Mike Smith’s Quivet Cellars, some 2023s from Michael Savaiano’s Pezzato label, Paul Lato, a lineup of 2015s from Luc Morelt, and some impressive, more value-priced releases from CAM X that are well worth checking out.
Beyond France and California, there are also new releases from Quinta do Noval, including both their vintage Port releases as well as their dry reds, which merit more and more attention. They’re outstanding across the board and have singular characters. Looking at their Vintage Ports, 2023 was a more moderate, wetter year, and both the Vintage and Nacional have incredible purity and finesse, while still being remarkably concentrated.
Lastly, I was able to taste through a handful of Sauternes as well as Tokaji (Disznókő, Dorgó Vineyard, and Sárga Borház), so there’s a surprising number of sweet wines here.
Many of these deserve their own report, but alas, there are not enough hours in the day! I hope you enjoy this report and find something that inspires you to open a bottle.
All the best, Jeb