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#9 – Unfortunately, I think the 1988 DRC Romanee Conti was the only bottle of RC I had this year. No, I had a corked bottle of 1962, and yes, it hurt. This bottle of ’88 was thanks to The Maestro, and an absolute thrill. ‘A ‘serious’ blind wine was served next, and the Romanee Conti guesses came quickly. There was this autumnal oil to the nose, along with sweet brown sugar, menthol, gingerbread and more spice. This was a ‘crazy time’ wine. More sweet brown sugar and oats played together nicely on the palate, and this lip smacking red had a citrus spank to its finish that hurt so good. It wasn’t from the 1990s, not 1980s, had to be 1978 RC, I mused. It was a stunningly good bottle of 1988 DRC Romanee Conti. Wow. I was impressed, not only how good, but how much more ready it was than I thought an ’88 would be. I need to investigate a few more from this vintage in early 2018!’ (98+)

#7 – It’s amazing how people forget how good Yquem is. I get it, it’s tough to drink a whole bottle of sweet wine, you really need an entourage. But when you get a great old one, it is tough to beat, especially at the end of a night. Even a young one, starting with 2001. A bottle of 1921 Yquem proved epic this year, although my notes weren’t epic due to a massive number of bottles consumed beforehand. ‘There were a few epic sweet wines served at the end of this epic lunch, a 1921 Yquem(99),a 1863 Taylor Single Harvest Port (98) and a 1900 Krohn Reserva Port (97), I think. Game, set, match. I was no match for The Maestro, but I am definitely game to try again!’

#5 – 1978 DRC La Tache. I think La Tache is another given for any year’s Top Ten, and so many vintages to choose from. This year, I only have three : ) Gentleman Jim and Lady Agah brought a perfect bottle to our December Holiday Auction at Bouley in New York City. We had already had a ’59 Latour, a ’59 Haut Brion, a ’91 Chave Cuvee Cathelin and dozens of other wines. Nothing except the Cathelin was even close. Didn’t take a note as notes are tough to take at auctions, but I sure as heck remember.’ (99)

#3 – I, along with many Burgundy lovers I know, have long been partial to 1971s, especially when they are DRCs. I have this wine about 15-20 times, and 15 or 20 more times would not be enough. Another of the all-time great La Taches, and something about where it is right now that makes it my favorite of the three 99ers. ‘The 1971 DRC La Tache was another perfect bottle, smoky and sexy in every which way. This was a great, thick wine that exuded greatness. This wine was full of ceramic spices and had cement on its finish, sleeping with the fishes style. This was a bottle that ended all discussions, there was no need for life thereafter. It was ‘so good.” (99)

#1 – For our ‘Greatest Wines Weekend,’ which featured about 100 of the World’s finest and rarest wines ever made, there was one wine that stood above the rest: the 1945 Mouton Rothschild. It remains on my all time Top Ten list, and it doesn’t look to be leaving any time soon. ‘There had to be one wine of the weekend, and it might as well have been the 1945 Mouton Rothschild. ‘OH YEAH’ is how my notes started. This wine was everything it could be and should be, an absolutely perfect bottle. It was nutty with aromas of caramel, cream, cedar and carob. This was sexy everywhere, tall dark and handsome, all that and then some. This was a superman amongst boys, and it still felt like it had a long way to go. It ended up being wine of the weekend.’ (99+)