Steven Spurrier’s fine wine world

Our consultant editor and 2017 Decanter Hall of Fame recipient picks fine wines to drink now and to lay down, all priced at £ 25 and above

While the wine trade’s attention has recently been focused on the superbly ripe 2018 wines from all over Burgundy, the equally successful vintage from the northern Rhône valley (see ÔVintage reportÕ, p40) has produced less noise. Top merchant Johnny Goedhuis told me that the region was ‘a hard sell’, but this is changing. The Cuilleron family has, just since 1987, managed to acquire 90ha across six appellations.

For medium-term reds at a modest (compared to Burgundy) price, I would choose St-Joseph over the easier CrozesHermitage and tougher Cornas, but further up the scale the elegant, cellarworthy Côte

Rôties are hard to beat.

Yves Cuilleron’s top cuvée of three, Bonnivières comes from a single plot of 60-year-old, east-facing vines on the Côte Brune, harvested late and fermented partially de-stemmed for three weeks in open-top, temperature-controlled vats with regular cap-punching and pumping-over, but no over-extraction. Malolactic in barrels and 18 months’ ageing completes the picture. Spicy black fruits on the nose lead to a velvety texture and exceptional purity of flavour. Never assertive, the best Côte-Rôties need patience, and this 2018 will open up after three years, still be there at 30, at its best during the next decade (available from September priced at about £60, Uncorked).