My bottles of the year

This has been the most fascinating political year I can remember. I have even found myself dreaming about politics – and neither the excitements nor the perils are likely to end any time soon. So it might seem self-indulgent to tear one’s attention away from grog. But we all need distraction, even in the spirit of gaudeamus igitur. Looking back over the year’s drinking, I also decided to summon interesting bottles for a meander through pleasant memories.

As he has before, a Californian friend came up not just trumps but with the ace of trumps. A propos the Trump suit, my friend is not only secretive about his considerable wine holdings, he also keeps his politics in the closet, for he is a Californian who voted for Donald Trump. Perhaps he should be put in charge of the White Housecellar, if there is one. Anyway, he is devoted to the wines of Armand Rousseau. Currently, he may be the world’s greatest wine-maker. If there is a rival, I would like to take part in a taste-off.

We opened another bottle of the Chambertin Clos de Bèze 2002. In paying homage to its glory, I have long since exhausted all the superlatives I can think of. They remain justified. It is a wine at its peak, and is likely to remain there for at least a decade. This is a superb exemplar of Burgundian civilisation. I have drunk wines which were as good, I think, but not often and not recently. In search of comparisons, I thought of a 1945 Lafite, and the same vintage of Latour: I think the latter was even greater.

Moving beyond claret, I called to mind a 1959 Richebourg and quite a lot of ’67 Yquem, courtesy of Alan Clark.