Wine Tastings 9/11

In an age of instant gratification, most people buy wine to drink tonight. Saving a bottle for a special occasion may mean placing it in a rack where it gathers dust for a month or two. At best, cases might be stored in a cool closet or basement and consumed within a year of purchase.

For those who have had the pleasure of enjoying properly cellared older wines, I don't need to tell you there is nothing like it. One Incline Village wine collector likened the experience to liquid sex. But before this image sends you scurrying to the wine cellar, you need to know that not all wines will benefit from aging.

Determining what to cellar and what to drink now takes experience. As a general rule, the more you pay the more likely you are to have a wine that will benefit from aging, although this is not always the case. Many California wines costing upwards of $50 don't have the structure necessary for aging. Perhaps a better indicator is the "pucker" effect. A red wine that tastes coarse and rough when opened contains substantial tannic acid. The firmer the tannins in young red wine, the more likely it will improve with age as the tannins soften. If a wine is smooth and soft when opened, drink it now.

Over the course of an evening, you may notice that wine in the glass becomes smoother than when the bottle was first opened. This result is from contact with air which accelerates aging. Decanting (the process of pouring wine from the bottle into a wide-mouth carafe) provides air contact more quickly than removing the cork. Decanting is generally reserved for older wines that may contain natural sediments from years in the bottle. Time in a decanter with exposure to air, allows older wines to "open up." However, too much air will turn any wine to vinegar.

Wine is a living thing and is constantly changing. Like most of us, it doesn't like to be shocked. If you plan to cellar and age red wines, vibration is the single most important factor when choosing a location. There are many free-standing, countertop, and under-the-counter coolers on the market that are powered with small motors. Some give off more vibration than others. Prices vary from one hundred to several thousand dollars. If you plan to age wines for less than five years, any of the less expensive units are probably sufficient. For longer storage, consider your investment worth the price of a high-end model with next to no vibration.

Humidity keeps the cork moist so that it won't shrink and allow air to come in contact with the wine. This is not generally a concern except when cellaring wines for many years. A temperature of 55 degrees is considered ideal, but a few degrees one way or the other is not critical. More important is that any temperature change be gradual, a degree at a time. The colder the cellar, the longer it takes for wine to mature. The more slowly wine ages, the better it will be. There is no substitute for time and patience.

With this knowledge, the Bonanza tasting panel revisited four properly cellared Ceretto Barolos and Barbarescos from the 1988 and 1989 vintages. The wines were purchased in the early 1990s by long-time Tahoe resident and former wine merchant Richard Guinchigliani who brought them to Village Gourmet in early Dec 2004 for consignment sale. According to Richard, "the wines are now exhibiting complex aromas and velvety tannins. The Barbarescos are peaking and should remain for the two to four years. The Barolos are also peaking and should remain for four to six years."

When first released, the wines were lavishly praised by wine critics. Decanter Magazine wrote, "Ceretto is the most important producer of Barolo and Barbaresco alongside Gaja." Robert Parker commented in the Wine Advocate, "the Ceretto Barolos are very impressive ... the quality of these wines puts them in the same league as France's finest Bordeaux or Burgundy."

Wine Lover's Companion by Ron Herbst and Sharon Tyler Herbst states, "Barbaresco is one of the small number of DOCG regions in Italy's northwestern Piedmont region that encompasses the villages of Barbaresco, Tresio, and Nieve, just east of Alba. Barolo DOCG, just southwest of Alba, includes vineyards on steep hills around the towns of Barolo, Castiglione Faletto, Serralunga d'Alba, Monforte d'Alba, and La Morra."

The Herbsts continue, "Many people view Barolo as Italy's best, calling it the "King" of Italian wines. Young Barolos are an acquired taste; tough and tannic, they need five-plus years to soften. Once they soften and open up, they are rich, full-bodied and complex. Barbarescos are usually regarded as more elegant and refined; Barolos are thought to be more robust and longer-lived."

So what did our tasters think? The regular panel of Curmudgeon (Cur), Queen Bee, and Incline Princess, were joined by a new member, Trebor, and a guest taster, Nodle, who had spent time in the Piedmont region. All were eager to see how these wines had stood the test of time and to compare their comments to those of the critics.

The wines were decanted for an hour and 40 minutes. They were all dark red and fading a bit at the edges, showing a pleasant orange rim typical of older wines. Over the 90 minute tasting, they continued to change in the glass.

"They revealed complexity and we discovered so much more," said Nodle who went on to expound on the pleasures of Piedmont wines paired with roast meats, especially lamb, garlic and truffle sauces. The tasting continued amid lively conversation, "more than at any previous tasting," noted Cur, "because there was just more to talk about!"

The 1989 Barbaresco Faset, rated 91 by Wine Advocate and 93 by Wine Enthusiast on release, emerged as the panel's favorite, receiving +5 from three of five tasters. It showed complex aromas of dried fruit, spice and earth, cedar and old leather. On the palate it was smooth and velvety with flavors of black cherry, dusty truffles and mushroom, a long finish and magnificent aftertaste. "This wine has finesse," pronounced Bee. "Definitely in its prime," remarked Cur, giving it a few more years before beginning a slow decline. "A gem, for those who love a big, elegant wine," he said. "The best value of the group."

The 1989 Barbaresco Bricco Asili, rated 91 points from Wine Advocate and 96 points from Wine Enthusiast on release, received top votes from two members of the panel who admitted to preferring wines with more forward fruit and tannins. All noted the wine's big fruit and smoky aromas, flavors of dried fruits and vanilla, and a long, lingering aftertaste. Those who preferred the Faset Barbaresco thought this one was still a bit rough. Over the 90-minute tasting, the tannins began to soften and the wine became more approachable, but "it would still benefit from more time," said Bee.

The 1989 Barolo Brunate was a big wine with lots of berry/cherry fruit and nutty flavors, great balance and a measure of acidity. As with the Bricco Asili, after one hour of tasting it changed dramatically as it softened in the glass, becoming a "little more elegant," noted Cur, "but it needs more time. It may well improve with age," he said. The others agreed, adding "full bodied" and "complex" to the descriptors.

The 1988 Barolo Prapa showed the most age in its color. Well balanced and complex, it exhibited earthy, woodsy aromas, flavors of black currants, a slight astringency, and an illusive quality some identified as cola. "With the acidity this wine still has, it should improve significantly," said Cur. "A very good wine, but it really needs more age," he said.

Readers willing to continue the aging process or Š in the case of the Barbaresco Faset, to enjoy it now - may stop by the Village Gourmet where a few bottles of each wine are still available. At $100 to $130 each, these wines are not meant to be drunk lightly but to be cellared and savored. Do so and you will discover the pleasure is worth the price.