Your favourite winemakers’ favourite wines: Part II
From left to right: Stéphanie De Boüard-Rivoal, Bernardino Sani, Ernst Loosen, Anselme Selosse, Jane Eyre-Renard, and Matthew Day
Drinking with the experts
For the second time, we reveal the wines that have attracted the attention of some of the world’s leading winemakers. In this article, Wine Lister asks 11 vignerons to name their favourite bottle – providing the ultimate wish list of top-quality cuvées to look out for.
Stéphanie De Boüard-Rivoal – Château Angélus
Eighth-generation winemaker, Stéphanie De Boüard-Rivoal tells us that she has tasted many unforgettable bottles, including Clos Rougeard Le Bourg 2002, Coche-Dury Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru 2008, Rayas 2005, Pétrus 1971, Krug Clos du Mesnil 1988, and Dunn Howell Mountain 1998. Above all, a bottle of Jacques Selosse Millésime 2002 comes out on top, having been opened by Stéphanie and her husband during a holiday to Mauritius a few years ago, where they enjoyed it on the beach with fresh crayfish. “The incredible depth, length, subtle salinity, complexity, and balance make this wine a real stunner and a wine one cannot forget after tasting it”. Stéphanie tells us that it is a combination of the wine and the context in which it was tasted that takes it to the top spot.
Bernardino Sani – Argiano
Bernardino Sani, winemaker at Argiano, tells us that his choice of wine is dependent on the occasion. Having previously worked in France, Central America, and the United States, Bernardino’s selection of favourites is as varied as the countries in which he has lived. Romantic dinners with his wife call for sparkling wine, such as Bérêche & Fils Rilly-La-Montagne. Super Tuscan estate, Montevertine, makes its way onto Bernardino’s podium of top reds, for its “terroir-driven” Sangiovese, Le Pergole Torte. He also cites G.B. Burlotto Barolo Monvigliero – “a pure example of Nebbiolo” – as one of his favourite reds. While Italy’s Amalfi Coast and Etna are high on Bernardino’s list of favourite white wine regions, Domaine Leflaive’s Montrachet 2002 takes the prize for the best white he has ever tasted.
Ernst Loosen – Weingut Dr. Loosen
Ernst Loosen believes that cool-climate Rieslings and Pinot Noirs are “red and white twins”, with both offering “pure pleasure to drink” at a young age, and “become truly interesting with a decade or two of maturity”. He feels “naturally drawn to Pinot Noir, especially the more elegant, Old World style of Burgundy”, and admires the “earthy, ethereal, sous bois aroma” that both varieties develop with age. Ernst tells us that “it’s a lot of fun to drink a well-matured Riesling Auslese alongside a [Burgundy] Pinot Noir of similar age”, highlighting the 1971 vintage as one that provides an excellent comparison between the two. He also notes that a 1959 Burgundian Pinot Noir and a 1959 German Riesling will never fail to provide you with “an unforgettable experience”.
Anselme Selosse – Domaine Jacques Selosse
When forced to choose, Anselme Selosse tells us that his favourite wine would be one produced by Rioja Alta’s López de Heredia. During a visit to the estate in 1972, two years before he joined his father at Domaine Jacques Selosse, he was “captivated by the family’s winemaking philosophy”, elements of which still influence his own style today. He singles out Viña Tondonia Blanco Gran Reserva as an exceptional wine that is “deeply imbued with the character of its birthplace”. For Anselme, it brings to mind “someone with the wrinkles of experience etched on his face, who dares to express himself without seeking approval”. Anselme pinpoints two vintages with these qualities, the 1996 and the 2001, describing them as “coloured with age [but] young at heart, […] harmonious, balanced, complex, and subtle” – “storytellers” which tell the unique tale of their terroir.
Jane Eyre-Renard – Maison Jane Eyre / Jane Eyre Mornington Peninsula
Fortunate to have tasted many outstanding wines since her first harvest in Burgundy in 1998, Australian-born winemaker, Jane Eyre-Renard, discloses (“in no particular order”) her three favourite categories: Pinot Noir, Grower Champagne, and Vin Jaune. When pressed for names, Jane tells us that, “if she really had to choose”, it would be between Pierre Overnoy’s Vin Jaune 1985 and Jacques Frédéric Mugnier’s Musigny Grand Cru 2010. Shared with a group of dear friends, the Vin Jaune, with its “complexity, power, length, and pure deliciousness”, was, for Jane, the perfect illustration of why “no great bottle was ever drunk alone”. Meanwhile, the Musigny encompasses “all the things [Jane] loves about Pinot Noir.” Having worked with Frédéric Mugnier back in 2002, she shared this bottle with her harvest team in 2022 when it was 12 years old.
From left to right: Omri Ram, Guillaume Pouthier, Telmo Rodríguez, Thibault Liger-Belair, and Sebastián Zuccardi
Matthew Day – Klein Constantia
With a host of experiences across the globe, from Saint-Émilion to Napa Valley, Matthew Day followed his roots back to South Africa, where he heads winemaking at Klein Constantia. He tells us that his favourite wines sit in two categories: those that hold sentimental value and have played a vital part in his career, and those that he just can’t get enough of. He ranks Penfolds Grange, Margaux, and Didier Dagueneau in the first category: his first job in Australia was at Penfolds and Margaux was the first First Growth he tasted. “When it comes to Dagueneau, I am crazy about Sauvignon Blanc, especially those from Pouilly-Fumé or Sancerre”, explaining that the wines “opened [his] mind to a terroir-focused winemaking style”. His wine picks for pure pleasure include d’Yquem, while Gramercy Cellar’s Syrah is his absolute favourite wine to drink. He is a firm believer that wines like these are better enjoyed with friends, without food, rather than trying too hard to force a pairing.
Omri Ram – Château Lafleur
Like many other oenophiles, Omri Ram struggled to narrow his favourite wines down to one. He cites the wines of Domaine G. Roumier, Domaine Coche-Dury, and Domaine Jamet as having marked “unique and special occasions”, while noting that some of the greatest wines “are those you can drink on a Tuesday evening, without breaking your head wondering if you should open your last bottle of something very rare”. In this case, he turns to the Rhône and Bordeaux. He enjoys the wines of Domaine Alain Graillot in Crozes-Hermitage – no frilly edges, “just a pure, well-made Syrah”. His adopted region, the Right Bank, holds a special place in his heart, offering great ageing potential without needing to break the bank. While Omri enjoys gems from Château Magdelaine (vintages 1990, 1995, and 1999 to be specific), he tells us that the real unsung heroes come from Fronsac, Côtes de Bourg, and the Médoc Crus Bourgeois. A current favourite of his is Château Tour du Haut-Moulin 1996, a Cru Bourgeois Haut-Médoc “of depth and sophistication”.
Guillaume Pouthier – Château Les Carmes Haut-Brion
Awarded the title of France’s best winemaker by Le Figaro Vin at the end of last year (recap the article here), Toulouse-born winemaker, Guillaume Pouthier, has many favourite wines. If he had to choose the one that he felt the “strongest emotional connection” with, it would be Hermitage Cuvée Cathelin 1991 from the icon Northern Rhône estate, Domaine Jean-Louis Chave. He tells us that it is a perfect example of a great wine with “perfect balance, good texture, and structure”: a classic Hermitage, one to be drunk now or kept for many more years.
Telmo Rodríguez – Remelluri
Telmo Rodríguez, of Remelluri fame, tells us that his favourite wine is Bodegas De La Riva’s unfortified Palomino, ‘M. Ant. De La Riva’, produced by winemakers Willy Perez and Ramiro Ibáñez from grapes grown in Jerez’s iconic Macharnudo vineyard. Seeing its Place de Bordeaux debut last September, this wine could be, according to Telmo “one of the world’s best whites, thanks to the Palomino grape’s noble expression and the finesse and flavour provided by the Albariza soils found in Jerez”. Dedicated to the revival of Spain’s native grape varieties, Telmo is keen to promote the new generation of great winemakers keeping these historic wines alive.
Thibault Liger-Belair – Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair
Unlike our other interviewees, Thibault was quick to disclose his favourite wine: Domaine Hauvette Cuvée Cornaline 2011 Baux de Provence. “I love the precision and the style Dominique Hauvette can integrate into her wine”, he tells us. With “bright fruit and a wonderful aromatic expression”, this wine displays “exemplary precision and finesse, even when young”, according to the vigneron. Thibault recently brought a bottle to taste blind with his winemaker friends at their regular haunt in Beaune, and tells us that it left them stumped!
Sebastián Zuccardi – Zuccardi
“I have so many wines that inspire me and open my mind”, explains Sebastián, third-generation owner and winemaker of Argentinian estate, Zuccardi. Faced with the task of picking just one favourite, he chooses Soldera: “The wines display finesse and transparency, allowing the intensity of the distinctive terroir of the Montalcino forests to shine through”. Sebastián shared with us tales of his visit to the estate, where he was hosted by the legendary late Casse Basse winemaker, Gianfranco Soldera, remembering clearly Gianfranco’s desire for the aromas of the forest to be reflected in his wines.