Happy New Year! 2024 is upon us and this led me to think about all the marvellous things I have drank in 2023. I have chosen a case of ‘favourites’.
Of course, any list like this is grossly unfair and misses out on lots of the many, many fabulous wines I have been fortunate enough to try – lucky chap that I am!
However, these were all god-damn spectacular, in different ways. If ever you see any of these for sale, and some – like the Werfdans – can still be procured from retailers, then it would be worth your time trying at least one bottle.
So here we go, I give you (in descending vintage order, with only one birthday vintage included):
My twelve wines of 2023
– 2022 Felseneck Spatlese Goldkap, Schaefer-Frohlich – Read the note.
– 2020 Cote-Rotie Terraces, Jean-Luc Jamet – Pure love, pulsing with potential.
– 2020 Kamaka Terroir de Seyssuel, G & J Bott – The Seyssuel Cru is coming, this gives you an advance glimpse of the scintillating wines it can produce
– 2017 Werfdans Old Vine Cinsault, Ian Naude – Read the note.
– 2006 Vosne-Romanee 1er cru Malconsorts, Dujac – An indescribably great wine from Jeremy Seysses.
– 2005 Vina Tondonia Reserva, Lopez de Heredia – During a wonderful trip to Burgundy, this was one of the very top wines my friends and I drank.
– 2003 Port, Taylor’s – What birthday party would be complete without a magnum of first order Port? From a crazily hot vintage, this produced a wine of undoubted scale, but limitless charm.
– 2002 Clos de la Roche Grand Cru, Dujac – Jeremy’s second vintage, I could have cried with joy when I tried this.
– 1999 Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru, Dujac – Jacques Seysses showed he still had the magic touch. People dismiss Charmes all too easily, wines like this show it is capable of true greatness.
– 1991 Cornas, Noel Verset – Papa Verset never fails. It was amazing that this bottle was in such good condition.
– 1983 Cornas, Guy de Barjac – Read the note.
– 1973 Champagne Carte d’Or, Veuve Clicquot – To be honest 1973 is more of a good vintage for people, but 1973 fizz can (still) have interest and merit.
I apologise for the low frequency with which I have reported on these wines. This is entirely due to the pain I suffer when writing at the computer; typing up notes is floridly painful. I am still trying to gather funds to get my back operated on, so if you would like to read more from me, pop over to my pleading page.
