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How Long Do I Wait?
Written By: Curt Christiansen | Issue: 2017/04 - April | Photograph By: Marjorie Christiansen Photography
When I entered the wine business 26 years ago, I immediately found that people are looking for others that they think will have the capacity to appreciate and enjoy their older wine treasures.
Many assumed I would be a worthy candidate. Typically, I would be given a taste of a 30-35-year-old Bordeaux. The color was usually a brickish red and nearly clear around the edge. The aromas were subtly sublime. The wines usually were devoid of any weight or viscosity. The flavors were muted and focused more on the earthy, herbal, and not so much on fruit. They were usually on the verge of being dried out and tart.
Overall was I impressed with the wines considering their age. The aromatics usually seemed to outlive the flavors. Would I want to enjoy the wine with dinner? No. Although the wines were impressive for their age, they were wines to taste and admire, not to Drink.
Fast forward 26 years. I have noticed a change in these wines of the same age, many of the same chateau. These wines seem younger in every aspect. Maybe Bordeaux has started using sulfites. I’ll give you a moment to stop laughing. The color is deeper all the way to the rim, the aromas are not as subtle, but lovely nonetheless. But the texture has drastically changed. The wine still hugs the glass and your taste buds as well. The flavors are generous and show muted notes of red fruit, as well as earth and spice. They have all for the most part maintained a sense of balance.
So, I must ask myself, why? The first clues are on the labels. The alcohol content in these wines has increased from one to nearly four percent. The other, rather disappointing fact, is that nearly all the chateau that I tasted 26 years ago, now have the same “consultant.” The only continent he doesn’t have any clients is Antarctica.
So, it comes back to the age-old question of nature or nurture. Though all change is not bad. If you like your aged wines the way they used to taste you’ll just have to wait another decade, or just buy them pre-cellared. If you’re a fan of the new style, then there are good things ahead.
Drink well, Curt Christiansen,
Wine Navigator
