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Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1990: The colour is gradually turning into garnet, but still deep ruby and bright. On the nose dark chocolate, coffee, gravel, graphite, and much more. The list could go on forever, since, as it is often the case with a well stored old wine of this standing, the experience keeps changing. In the mouth very elegant, with a lot of character and a savour that increase progressively, with an explosion towards the end. The tannins are perfectly integrated and the pleasant aftertaste last forever. I find this Lafite 1990 as exciting as the iconic Lafite 1982 I tasted two years ago a first time and in the spring a second time. The bottle was in pristine conditions and the maturity of the wine most likely at its top. Extremely enjoyable to drink. One of the best bottles of my life! The 1990 Lafite Rothschild is a blend of 57% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Merlot and 13% Cabernet Franc. For Bordeaux, the 1990 vintage has a legendary reputation as one of the best vintages of the 20th Century. All great Bordeaux vintages spring from hot years and the 1990 Bordeaux vintage was the second hottest year of the century. Only 1947 was warmer. 1990 also offered vintners more sunlight as well. The year was only surpassed by 1949 for the amount of sun the grapes received. Interestingly, 1990 set another second place record. It was the second wettest year on record for a hot vintage. Only 1989 surpassed it for rainfall. The quality of the vintage allowed great wines to be produced at all levels in every appellation. In 1990 I was 17 years old, Iraq invaded Kuwait and my mother left my father. A great year for Bordeaux and its wines, a bit less for me and my family. 1990 was also the year Germany reunited, Yugoslavia's communist regime collapsed, Nelson Mandela was released from prison, and Margaret Thatcher resigned as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. In 1990 the Human Genome Project started, the Hubble Space Telescope was launched and Tim Berners-Lee created the first web server and the foundation for the World Wide Web. I received this bottle as a gift. It sells at around 1’000 CHF.

Serrapetrona 2021: The colour is deep purple. On the nose primary aromas of blueberry and prune, with some rosehip and mint. In the mouth dry, with pleasant tannins. The aftertaste is medium long. Overall, a simple but enjoyable wine. This Serrapetrona DOC wine is made by Alberto Quacquarini with 100% Vernaccia Nera, a grape most likely indigenous of the Marche region of Central Italy, where the little town of Serrapetrona is located. For this bottle I paid 13.50 EUR at Enoteca Costantini in Rome.

Aglianico del Taburno 2019: The colour is deep ruby. On the nose blueberry, blackberry, prune and some liquorice. In the mouth delicate and fresh. The aftertaste is rather short. This red wine is made with 100% Aglianico grapes by Fontanavecchia winery under the Aglianico del Taburno DOCG. Aglianico is a black grape grown in the southern regions of Italy, mostly Campania and Basilicata. It is considered, with Sangiovese and Nebbiolo, to be one of the three greatest Italian varieties. Campania's Taurasi DOCG and Basilicata's Aglianico del Vulture DOC are two of the best known appellations to use the variety. Like many of the southern Italian wine regions, Taburno is a mountainous area. Its production zone is located in the province of Benevento and expands across 13 communes. The designation was created as a DOC in 1986 and achieving DOCG status in 2011. For this bottle I paid 11.50 EUR at a wine shop in Benevento.

Taburno Falanghina del Sannio 2022: The colour is medium gold. On the nose mango, peach and apple. In the mouth distinctly sapid. The aftertaste is medium long. This white wine is made with 100% Falanghina grapes by Fontanavecchia winery under the Falanghina del Sannio DOC. Falanghina is a very old white grape variety, originating from the slopes of the Taburno and some areas of the Campi Flegrei. The name may derive from “falange” (phalange), the pole used to support the very vigorous branches of the vine, which do not allow bush training. But there are no historical sources. For this bottle I paid 11.50 EUR at a wine shop in Benevento, where I also bought a sparkling version. I drunk it while spending a couple of days resting in Naples, after my 11 days/313km walk from Rome to Benevento.

Nudo Eroico: The colour is pale straw. The bubbles are very similar to the ones of Ferrarelle, an Italian naturally sparkling mineral water. On the nose some green apples, but not much and not much else. In the mouth refreshing, but neither particularly pleasant nor persistent. This sparkling wine is made according to the Charmat method with 100% Falanghina grapes by Fontanavecchia winery in Torrecuso, less than 20km northwest of Benevento in the Taburno subzone of the Sannio DOC. For this bottle I paid 11.50 EUR at a wine shop in Benevento at the end of my eleven days walk from Rome to Benevento.

Inferno Riserva 2018: The colour is medium garnet. On the nose herbs, hay and blackberries. In the mouth pleasantly tannic and sapid. The aftertaste is medium long. This wine is made with 100% Chiavennasca (Nebbiolo) grapes by Cantine Nera under the Valtellina Superiore DOCG. The designation Valtellina Superiore DOCG is dedicated to red wines produced in the province of Sondrio with at least 90% Nebbiolo grapes (locally called Chiavennasca). The minimum refining period of the Valtellina Superiore DOCG is twenty-four months, of which at least twelve in wooden barrels. Wines may carry the “Riserva” qualification if subjected to an aging period of at least three years. Within the wine production area Valtellina Superiore DOCG are the sub-zones Maroggia, Sassella, Grumello, Inferno, Valgella. I bought this bottle for 22.65 EUR at IPERAL on the way back from Poschiavo, my place of origin.

A orì Ginestra 2009: The colour is deep garnet. On the nose cherries, strawberries, leather, tobacco. In the mouth warm, with firm tannins that leave the mouth dry. The aftertaste is medium long. Sorì Ginestra belongs to the Cru Ginestra vineyard, one of Barolo’s various crus and, as any Barolo, is made with 100% Nebbiolo grapes. This wine is produced by Conterno-Fantino, a winery founded in 1982 in Monforte d’Alba. Nowadays the winery employs about 10 people. The vineyards are organically cultivated. Overall, they produce about 140’000 bottles per year (14’904 under this label, in 2009), split into the 4 varietals of Nebbiolo, Barbera, Dolcetto and Chardonnay. I bought this bottle for 60 EUR when I visited the winery in 2013.

Sperss 2014: The colour is medium garnet. On the nose very elegant. Strawberries, rose petals and mushrooms come to mind. In the mouth smooth, with well integrated tannins. The aftertaste is subtle and medium long. I’m generally not a big fan of Barolo wines, which I usually find overpriced for the pleasure they deliver, but I have to say that this Barolo of Gaja is a noteworthy exception, which I greatly enjoyed. Gaja is one of the best-known wine producers in all of Italy. Originating in and still based in Barbaresco, the Gaja name remains most strongly associated with Nebbiolo-based wines, though the company now makes more wine in Tuscany than Piedmont. The business was founded in 1859 by Giovanni Gaja, but it was Angelo, his great grandson, who took the estate to fame. Angelo Gaja was responsible for overseeing major changes in the vineyards and cellars, introducing international grape varieties and winemaking practices more common in Bordeaux than in Piedmont. Gaja's move beyond Barbaresco started in 1988 with the acquisition of the Sperss vineyard in neighbouring Barolo. In 1994, Gaja took over the Pieve Santa Restituta estate in Montalcino. In 1996, he bought the Ca' Marcanda estate in Bolgheri. The 2014 vintage was a challenging one for Piedmont's vintners but, judging from this bottle, Gaia was nevertheless able to produce a great wine. I’ve been offered this bottle during a dinner with some Chinese friends. Online it sells for some 200 CHF.

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.