Top 50 wines in Q2 2012

50. Chateau Leoville Lascases 1945

49. Chateau Rivesaltes 1930

48. Jasmin Cote Rotie 1995

47. Chateau Figeac 1982

46. Marc Colin Saint Aubin Chateniere 2010

45. Mullineux Schist Syrah 2010

44. Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 1990

43. Chave Hermitage 1988

42. Henschke Louis Semillon 2007

41. Chateau Palmer 1986

40. Robert Michel Cornas ‘La Geynale’2001

39. Montez Condrieu 2010

38. Chateau Branaire Ducru 2001

37. Chateau Leoville Barton 2002

36. Ramonet Chassagne Montrachet La Boudroitte 2009

35. Jobard Meursault En Barre 2000

34. Pierre Yves Colin Morey Chassagne Montrachet Les Caillerets 2009

33. Denis Mortet Gevrey Chambertin Lavaux Saint-Jacques 2007

32. Marc Morey Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru 2007

31. Chateau Palmer 1985

30. Dervieux Rostaing Cote Rotie 1996

29. Dervieux Cote Rotie 1983

28. Louis Jadot Beaune Clos De Ursules 2001

27. Chateau Pichon Lalande 1982

26. Chateau Leoville Lascases 1982

25. Chateau Margaux 1982

24. Chateau Figeac 1980

23. Pierre Yves Colin Morey Meursault Genevrieres 2008

22. Chateau Figeac 1976

21. Coche Dury Meursault 2003

20. Jamet Cote Rotie 1998

19. Noel Verset Cornas 1996

18. Noel Verset Cornas 1995

17. Camile Giroud Corton Le Rognet 2007

16. Camile Giroud Corton Le Clos du Roi 2007

15. Noel Verset Cornas 1990

14. Chateau Latour 1985

13. Mark Haisma Chambertin Clos De Beze 2009

12. Chateau Gruaud Larose 1982

11. Bernard Moreau Chassagne Montrachet Les Chenevottes 2007/2010

10. Jamet Cote Rotie 1997

9. Rousseau Gevrey Chambertin Clos Saint Jacques 2004

8. Chateau Latour 1982

7. Chateau Mouton-Rothschild 1982

6. Chateau Lafite 1982

5. Chateau Grillet 1989

4. Chateau Lafite 1985

3. Chateau Haut-Brion 1982

2. Chateau Cheval Blanc 1982

1. Chave Hermitage 1990

An evening in New York City with Ramon Cabrera

I was a bit worried that we didn’t have enough to drink, what with the proprietor and his staff sniffing around – the idea was to throw them a few tit-bits to get the corkage waived – and the searing, oppressive – hence thirst-inducing - July NYC heat. It was nice to get rained on and summarily drenched when we came out of our second or third bar. It was a fitting end to an evening with Ramon, whose perspicacity is matched by his capacity…to keep going, like one of the mountain climbers in the Tour de France.

PYCM is one of the hottest producers in the Chassagne-Montrachet. With everyone called ‘Colin’ or ‘Morey’ it makes you wonder why you don’t see more club- or web-footed hunchbacks walking around the village because after all they all marry their brothers and sisters. The reason is that they all have kids via their mistresses. I think Pierre Yves is the son of Marc Colin. But I may be wrong. About that.

Pierre Yves Colin Morey Meursault Genevrieres 2008 – pale colour, ripe, rich and delicious, mineral notes with perfectly judged acidity, which gives it a certain fleetness of foot.

Jamet Cote Rotie 1998 – funky, animaly, gamey, feral, carnal, rustic, forest floor, minerally, smoke, hickory, grilled meats, cured meats herbs and camphor. Drinking this I was like a pig in shit.

Noel Verset Cornas 1995 – a journey back in to the pre-industrial past. It has a cacophony of farmyard smells, notably lashings of farmyard manure; cowhide, grilled meat, smoke, bonfire and mineral elements, with herbal notes developing over time and a hint of garrigue. One for the Village Green Preservation Society. Better than taking an ice cold shower.

Noel Verset Cornas 1996 – this was a different animal, more tannic and foursquare than the 1995, somewhat grouchy to begin with; dusty, minerally and metallic, metal ores, feldspar and wolframite…Tungsten Carbide…ooohhh….(sorry)… leathery peppery, blood, game, iodine and camphor. Really improves in the glass and benefits from decanting. Beats sitting on a mountain top half-naked thrashing yourself with a birch.

Much as I love old Jasmin and Rostaing, when it comes to Cote Rotie Jamet is hard to beat. He has taken over where Dervieux-Gentaz left off (we don’t include Guigal and his La-Las in this list because they are much too vulgar). Jamet Cote Rotie has everything you could ask for…we had the 1997 down in the rhone and it was similar to the '98 but with a bit more tension. The 1998 is a fantastic wine, but if I could level one criticism it would be that it is remarkably ready to drink and easy to understand; it lacks a bit of mystery and tension – or ‘nervosity’, which the Versets have in spades. For that reason the two Versets are even more thrilling wines, particularly given once we drink our dwindling supplies we will probably never see them again. They are the absolute antithesis of modern commoditized 21st century wines.