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Romanée-Conti 2011: The colour is light garnet. On the nose very delicate, with a bouquet leaning towards mint, spices and wood. In the mouth very elegant and subtle, with light but firm tannins. The aftertaste is fruity and medium long. With time the experience keeps changing, which is to be expected from a wine of this reputation. This wine is made by Société Civile du Domaine de la Romanée-Conti in Burgundy, which produces white and red wines under various denominations. DRC is widely considered among the world's greatest wine producers and the bottles it makes are among the world's most expensive. It takes its name from the domaine's most famous vineyard: Romanée-Conti. Romanée-Conti is an Appellation d'origine contrôlée created in 1936 and a Grand Cru vineyard for red wine in the Côte de Nuits subregion of Burgundy. It is situated within the commune of Vosne-Romanée and is a monopole of the winery Société Civile du Domaine de la Romanée-Conti. The production is limited to some 3’000-8’000 bottles a year (5’673 in 2011). I had the opportunity of drinking this bottle while visiting a friend in China, who let me pick freely from his cellar. At first I didn’t recognise it was the ONE. I thought it could be a lesser wine of Domain de la Romanée-Conti. Better so, otherwise I would not have dared opening it. I never thought I would one day have the chance of tasting a sip of Romanée-Conti. Not only that, I basically drank all the bottle by myself. For Burgundy, the 2011 vintage was a difficult one. Nevertheless, online this bottle sells for a hefty 20’000 CHF (2’666 CHF a glass).

Champagne Benoît Dinvaut Millésime 2017: The colour is medium gold, with a fine perlage. On the nose chestnuts and honey. In the mouth tasty, with a pronounced sapidity. The aftertaste last for a while. This Champagne is the result of the assemblage of 70% Meunier and 30% Chardonnay grapes from the producer’s own vineyards located in the village of Gueux, at the foot of the less prestigious western side of the Montagne de Reims. The first fermentation occurs in fût de chêne, with natural yeasts. During its second fermentation, the wine rests on its yeasts for 5 years. This bottle was disgorged in April 2023 and there was no final dosage. For this bottle I paid 37.90 EUR at Les Caves du Forum in Reims.

L’extravertie 2018: The colour is medium straw, with a fine and very persistent perlage. On the nose very expressive, with bread crust and grapefruit notes. In the mouth very savoury. The aftertaste last for a while. This Champagne Grand Cru Blanc De Blancs Extra Brut is made by Pertois-Lebrun with Chardonnay grapes from Cramant, Le Mesnil-Sur-Oger, Chouilly, Oger, Oiry. It was bottled in 2019 and degorgé in 2022. It therefore spent 3 years on the lees. The dosage is a low 4.5 g/L. Champagne Pertois-Lebrun is a family-owned estate located on the Côte des Blancs. In Cramant, 10km south of Épernay. For this bottle I paid 32.60 EUR at Les Caves du Forum in Reims. I enjoy it on my own the evening I finished my weeklong moving to the penthouse I bought at the end of June.

Ellercombe: The colour is medium gold, with a fine perlage. On the nose green apple and brioche. In the mouth light, with citrus flavours. The aftertaste is very discreet. This English sparkling wine is made by blending Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier grapes grown across Southern England. The wine is re-fermented in the bottle using the traditional method. It is made specifically for Sainsbury's Supermarkets by Rolling Green Hills, a company controlled by Eric Heerema. Eric Heerema is a Dutch who after selling his stakes in the maritime business built by his father bought Nyetimber, considered the benchmark for premium quality English Sparkling wines. England, although more famous for gin and beer, has been producing wine since Roman Imperial time. Historically, the country has not been known for the quality of its winemaking, inhibited by its northerly latitude and resulting cool climate. The lack of sunshine and colder temperatures hinders the ripening of the grapes, but since the turn of the millennium natural sugar levels have increased in the vineyard and wines have improved in quality and reputation. Nowadays, England is considered one of the regions whose wine industry will benefit by the warming effects of climate change. The majority of the country’s vineyards are located in the southeast, in Surrey, Sussex and Kent. I bought this bottle at Sainsbury’s in Cambridge for 22 GBP (25 CHF).

Garzón Tannat Reserva 2020: The colour is deep ruby. On the nose raspberry, plum and tomato. In the mouth astringent and rustic. The aftertaste is a bit bitter and medium long. This wine is made with Tannat grapes by Bodega Garzón in Uruguay. Tannat is a red wine grape historically grown in Southwest France, in the Madiran AOC. It is now one of the most prominent grapes in Uruguay, where it is considered the "national grape". At present, Uruguay is the only producer in the world where there are significant quantities of this variety in relation to its total area of vineyards, with a production that exceeds even that of its place of origin. The modern wine industry of Uruguay was started by immigrants of mainly Basque and Italian origin back in 1870, when Tannat was introduced by Don Pascual Harriague, a Basque. I received this bottle as a present. Online it sells for some 20 CHF.

Guardia Svizzera Pontificia 1527 San Giorgio 2018: The colour is medium garnet. On the nose strawberries, red cherries, dried figs, hazelnuts. In the mouth elegant. The aftertaste is medium long. This Brunello di Montalcino if made by Tipa-Bertarelli family, who owns The ColleMassari Domaine, which nowadays comprises four estates: Castello di ColleMassari since 1998, Grattamacco since 2002, the Poggio di Sotto Estate since 2011 and San Giorgio since 2017. Claudio Tipa, who runs the wineries, is the uncle of Ernesto Bertarelli, the Swiss-Italian billionaire famous for winning the America's Cup in 2003 and in 2007. This bottle sells at Coop for 49.95 CHF.

Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Gattavecchi 2019: The colour is medium garnet. On the nose tea leaf, plums and dark cherries. In the mouth fresh, with firm tannins but a light body. Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is one of Italy's classic red wines produced from Sangiovese. The vineyards of this DOCG surround Montepulciano, a hill town 40 km southeast of Siena, in southeastern Tuscany. Sangiovese (known locally as "Prugnolo Gentile") must make up at least 70% of the final wine. Other local varieties permitted in the province of Siena may account for 30% and up to 5% may be white varieties such as Malvasia. The supporting red grapes include Canaiolo and the little known Mammolo. The aging period for any Vino Nobile di Montepulciano is a minimum of 24 months (36 months for the riserva wines), of which at least 12 months must be spent in oak barrels. Oak barrels are traditionally used here for the slow, controlled maturation they provide, not for their flavor. In fact, local winemakers long used large Italian botti (oak vessels with considerably greater capacity than a barrique and thus with less surface area in relation to volume), rather than the smaller French barriques, in order to avoid undesirable oak characters (vanilla, toast) in the wine. For this wine I paid 21 EUR at Enoliteca in Montepulciano. On the winery site it sells for 19.50 EUR.

Château de Beucastel 2012: The colour is deep garnet. On the nose kirsch, prunes, espresso. In the mouth very juicy. The savour is delicious and the aftertaste last for quite a while. Château de Beaucastel is made by Famille Perrin and is regarded as one of the great wines of France. It occupies an exceptional terroir at the Northern limit of Châteauneuf-du Pape appellation. The vines are old and have been organically grown since the sixties. Beaucastel grows all thirteen grape varieties authorized by the Châteauneuf-du Pape appellation. The wine is a blend of 30% Grenache, 30% Mourvèdre, 15% Vaccarèse, Terret Noir, Muscardin, Clairette, Picpoul, Picardan, Bourboulenc, Roussanne, 10% Counoise, 10% Syrah and 5% Cinsault. Each variety is harvested separately. Vinification takes place in oak fermenters for the reductive varieties (Mourvèdre and Syrah) and in traditional enameled concrete tanks for the oxidative grapes (all the others). Once the malolactic fermentation is finished, the Famille Perrin blends the different varieties. The blend is then aged in oak Foudres for a year before being bottled. I bought this bottle seven years ago at Globus for 90 CHF. Nowadays it sells for more than 300 CHF.

Touraine AOC Sauvignon Blanc Fournier Père et Fils 2022: The colour is pale straw. On the nose passion fruit, grapefruit, mineral notes and green bell pepper. In the mouth very fresh. The aftertaste has a savour of lime and is medium long. Since 1926 Fournier Père et Fils is located in the wine-growing village of Chaudoux, at the heart of the Sancerre AOC, the easternmost of Loire Valley’s 51 appellations. Touraine AOC is another one, but located some 200km westward, in proximity of the city of Tours. The Loire Valley is the 3rd largest appellation region in France (it also encompasses 4 IGP). Its three main white grape varieties are Melon de Bourgogne, Chenin Blanc and Sauvignon Blanc. The three main red varietals are Cabernet Franc, Gamay and Pinot Noir. There is still discussion as to Sauvignon Blanc's actual origins, with both Bordeaux and the Loire claiming to be the grape's homeland. The Upper Loire regions of Sancerre and neighboring Pouilly-Fumé are arguably the iconic appellations for Sauvignon Blanc, while in Bordeaux it is often used as part of blended wines. Sauvignon Blanc's versatility means its regions and styles are remarkably diverse, both within France and internationally. This wine sells at Coop for 12.95 CHF.

Rauzan-Ségla 2012: The colour is medium ruby. On the nose dark cherries, plums, cocoa powder, green pepper. In the mouth masculine and rustic, with a not very long aftertaste. Being a still relatively young Second Grand Cru Classé of Bordeaux, I decided to decant it and the experience greatly improved. The 2012 Rauzan-Ségla is a blend of 54.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 44% Merlot and 1.5% Petit Verdot. Château Rauzan-Ségla is situated in the south of the Médoc, a few steps from the village of Margaux. It was once part of the vast Rauzan estate owned by Pierre de Mesures de Rauzan in the mid-17th century. Over time, this estate was divided, and by the time of the 1855 Classification, had been separated into the estates of Château Rauzan-Gassies, Château Rauzan-Ségla, Château Desmirail, and Château Marquis de Terme. In 1866 Rauzan-Ségla was sold to Eugene Durand-Dassier. Frédéric Cruse, his son-in-law, took over the management of the winery in 1903 and had the current château built. In 1994 the estate was sold to the owners of Chanel, the Wertheimer brothers. I bought this wine En Primeur for 56 EUR. Nowadays it sells for some 70% more.