TN: TN: Bordeaux, Barolo and a Chard.

[Harry C.]

• 1996 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac (1/30/2011)
  Garnet. Nose of dried herbs and 'asian' spices. Taste has dried herbs and a pinch of seasoned salt. All tertiary flavors, I do not think aging will help much. (88 pts.)
• 2006 Aubert Chardonnay Ritchie Vineyard - USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Coast (1/29/2011)
  Pale yellow. Initially on the colder side and closed shut just showing some vanilla and acid in the mouth. But with warming in the glass-to red wine coldness level it blossomed open. Citrus, vanilla and clove in the nose, lemon and cinnamon/clove in th emouth. Very good and again shows that it should be served warmer than the usual white wine. (92 pts.)
• 1996 Domenico Clerico Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra - Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barolo (1/29/2011)
  Garnet. Nose opened in the glass to have cherry, cinnamon and plums. Taste was hugely acid-out of balance IMO-but likely loved by long-time Italiphiles or Burgophiles. There is also cherry, licorice and plums in the mouth. I liked with food, but couldn't take much without food because of the acid. (90 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

[DavidG]

That GPL sounds really advanced for its age, Harry. I've got a couple and wasn't planning on popping one for a few years, but I better get to it...

[Nicklasss]

Me too I have some 1996 GPL and thought it would stay young for a longer time.

Maybe should open one to check.

Nic

[JonoB]

The Barolo seems like it is still a bit backward and closed. They tend to be high acid but also high tannin. Was there still a lot of tannin? It may just need time if so.

[Harry C.]

I just reported on my bottle of G-P-L. I am curious how other bottles taste. The Barolo is 15 years old. How much longer does a bottle need to be to drink well? If a wine needs more than 15 years in a cellar before it is even decent, then it is my opinion that it didn't start out decent.

[JonoB]

Harry, Good Barolo, Barbaresco need some serious time.

They are like Pinots but with lots of tannin which can obscure what is underneath.
I would be drinking 61, 64, 67, 71, 74, 78, 82, and only so called off vintages that were light like 95, 93... 89s are about to enter their window. 90s... Stay well clear for another 20.

94s are nice but youngish and lack depth.

Any great vintage, needs at least 30+ years to really shine. So 96, in about 15 years, 97 in about 10 years, 99 in about 10 years, 01 can be drunk because of their freshness but will be stunning in 15-20. 04 in 20 years, 05 in 10-15, 06 in about 25-30. Nebbiolo is a fickle but robust grape... It needs delicate care but has a very wide window...

[AlexR]

I have a magnum of 96 GPL and I, too, was thinking of waiting a few years on that.

I'll be interested to see what any other people have to say.

All the best,
Alex R.

[JonB]

Any great vintage, needs at least 30+ years to really shine. So 96, in about 15 years, 97 in about 10 years, 99 in about 10 years, 01 can be drunk because of their freshness but will be stunning in 15-20. 04 in 20 years, 05 in 10-15, 06 in about 25-30. Nebbiolo is a fickle but robust grape... It needs delicate care but has a very wide window...

Thanks for that dose of reality. No more new vintages of Clerico for my cellar, although the style seems to have changed to being more forward and less brooding over the last 3 vintages.

[JonoB]

The key to Nebbiolo is the tannin softening... Once that happens (or when you are there and you actually no longer notice the tannins because your mouth is coated in them, you can then pick about the wonders underneath!). It is delicate with tannins unless made in a very modern overly oaken style which many producers are now staying away from.

There is certainly a change across the board to a more approachable style, probably starting around 2000, but the best vintages will still age in much the same way. 06 is certainly a return to the style of wines pre 2000 that need a lot of time.

The beauty is that you can (unless it is Gaja or Giacosa Red Label or Monfortino) pick up the old vintages for not a lot more than release prices when mature if they haven't been drunk far too young. The best way to see these things is to go there and try about 30-40 wines a day, including the lesser wines from different producers. Will be there in May, and potentially a place is available on the trip if anyone is interesting.

[johnz]

Boy -- that does seem odd for the '96 GPL to drink so young. I haven't had it for 10+ years and then resolved to holding my other 2 btls until 2015+. Ten years ago it seemed backward, tannic, big and beefy with decades ahead for more complexity. Dunno . . .

--Gary Rust