In the theme of a few of our favorite things, the winter season inspires a good glass of red wine. That’s why we polled the Tastemakers, who include the first women Caviste from the Bordeaux society, and our favorite wine expert from Morrell. There are, of course, a few of you who really know your wine, but either way, these are the recommended red wines you should drink now.
The Tastemaker: Founder Christine Drinan
The Recommended Red Wine: 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Stella di Campalto
Any wine that Stella di Campalto makes will always be special to me. I was in Tuscany wine tasting back in 2009 and was lucky to be at Stella’s Vineyard for the harvest dinner. I actually don’t know what I did to deserve the honor, as the dinner was just family. Her aunt brought the bread from the Piacenza family and the hard-working farm crew who harvested the wine roasted a baby pig.
Stella was one of the first biodynamic winemakers in Montalcino and her vintage was awarded a 90+ Parker rating. Quite honestly though it could have been served in a jug – the wine is elegant and strong, like Stella herself. For me, while I appreciate highly-rated wine, it’s more about the experience, the memory, and the people.
Price: Around $400/bottle
The Tastemaker: Desiree Fish
About Desiree: Member of the Burgundy and Rhone Societies, wine collector, world traveler, and Francophile.
The Recommended Red Wine: 1989 La Fleur de Gay Pomerol
Desiree: I recently brought this Bordeaux to a wine dinner with friends, and it was one of the hits in a competitive field. I mean that literally too as there were over two dozen wines at this dinner. That’s part of what I like about this wine; it’s universally liked. The La Fleur stands on its own as well as pairs well with food.
Price: Around $250 retail if you can get a hold of it
The Tastemaker: Anny Chen
About Anny: World traveler, foodie, and wine expert at Morrell Wines.
The Recommended Wine: 2000 DRC Grands Echezeaux
Anny: Last summer I was in Paris and went to Parcels. We ended up ordering a 2000 DRC Grands Echezeaux that was simply divine. Every sip made you remember why wine can be so life-changing, and why people chase after certain wines. The Echezeaux is one of those wines where the memory lingers. You think back to how incredible the bottle really was.
Price: About $4,000/bottle
The Tastemaker: Matt Lux
About Matt: World traveler, food and wine aficionado, and original Co-Founder of UrbanDaddy. Nowadays his day job is in finance.
The Recommended Red Wine: 2017 Roc de Cambes
Matt: I had this Cotes de Bourg recently on a trip to Paris while dining at Le Gabriel. This was actually our second bottle, which means we dialed it down a tad. But this was shockingly a good second bottle of wine for the night. In fact, on some evenings it can easily slot into the number one position.
Price: Around $200 retail
The Tastemaker: Soonae Sakow
About Soonae: It’s kind of like a mic drop whenever wine and Soonae are involved. Soonae is one of the most influential women in the wine world. As the first woman Caviste and Regente of the Commander de Bordeaux in New York, Soonae is the expert not on just red wine, but all wine. What we love so much about Soonae though is how she makes wine approachable no matter what your level of knowledge.
The Recommended Red Wine: 1996 Chateau Lynch Bages
Soonae: I have an admiration for the 1996 Lynch Bages. In 2015, I visited the chateau at Lynch Bages and had dinner at Chateau Cordeillan-Bages. This bottle was opened for me by Jean-Charles CAZES for dinner. Years later, I spoke about this to a dear friend and she sent me a bottle as a birthday gift. It’s a memory that feeds the soul with the Lynch Bages for me.
I know you asked for one wine, but I also love old Bordeaux. The 1966 Lafite and 1966 Latour are among the vintages I choose to bring for gatherings with friends. It’s my husband’s birth year and I’ve adopted it as well.
Price: 1996 Chateau Lynch Bages – Around $255
1966 Chateau Lafite Rothschild – Around $1,500
1966 Chateau Latour – Around $1,200 if you can find it
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