1991 Chapoutier “La Morderee” Côte-Rôtie

There were eight of us around the table. There were nineteen bottles. Even if you include the three corked ones, this was the unanimous choice as the most undrinkable of the lot. Lots of coarse wood, no particular fruit character, short and rough finish. I could find no virtue whatever. Neither could anyone else. Bought on a strong Parker recommendation (100 points), this wine set me back $120 on release; after tasting it, I felt like one of those Warner Brothers cartoon characters who, after being badly tricked by Bugs Bunny, morphed into a giant lolly-pop marked “Sucker!” No-one even finished a glass, pre-empting my DNPIM rating.

SY (2/99)