The Wine Bottles That Nearly Spent Their Best Years in My Fridge

Hi everybody, this is Agnes from No Sediment and today I am going to audit my wine fridge and open several bottles that have been waiting years for special occasion and find out whether I was right to wait or should I have been opening them earlier. I might come across as the smarty pants wine person having an opinion on almost everything and always discussing wise things with people. But in reality I do not have everything figured out as much as I would like to. I still learn and study every day, I follow the news and new findings and I listen to other people's opinions. And then I question myself, have I missed some elements of specific topic? Has our understanding of certain things changed and therefore do I also need to change what I once believed was correct? Fortunately, I also work with amazing people who constantly challenge me and one can only grow in that kind of environment. It seems to me that some of the most heated debates on my YouTube channel are sparked when I talk about aging wines and enjoyment of mature bottles. Personally, I usually prefer younger wines with more fruit, energy and spark of life. That is not to say that I never enjoy mature bottles as well. I also strongly believe that poor wine cannot magically become great with age. And I have often said that great wines should be enjoyed rather than stored in the cellar or wine fridge for some special occasion or celebration, oftentimes never to be opened at all. And you might have noticed that many of my guests as well as myself regularly remind us of that. I tell you, when I was in the auction business, some of the wonderful sellers I would visit to sell their wine, those are people who died and it was so obvious that they kept their best bottles for a special occasion and then they died not drunk. I always say like, don't wait for a special moment. But do I always follow my own advices? No, not always. Look at me, I'm decanting a wine. I bought my second wine fridge not that long ago because the first one was getting full and I simply had nowhere left to store my wines. And over the course of few years, the second fridge has filled up as well. Once again, I find myself in a situation where I don't have enough space for wine. And why is that? Because I also have quite a few wines that I keep for a special occasion. Wines I bought during my trips and travels which somehow do not feel like they should simply be opened and enjoyed on a Tuesday evening just because I cooked a nice meal. And despite me generally preferring fresher and fruit-driven wine styles, I know that a little bit of time will not harm many of my wines. So today I am going to open four wines from my wine fridge. Wines that I have been keeping for a special occasion. I will tell you why I have each wine and why I kept waiting. We will also find out whether the wait was justified or whether I wasted years waiting and now the wine is past its prime. So I prepared for this video and then I went to audit my wine fridges and then I realized I was actually quite good. I did not have that many wines that I would feel uncomfortable keeping an extra years in my wine fridges. There were quite a lot of pink wines that I have left but those are just you know five six years old and they were never meant for aging. So those are probably gone already and they will not appear on this video. But the first one that I felt slightly uncomfortable was Antoine Jobart Merceau Premier Cru. And this one comes from a site or Premier Cru vineyard Poroussots, which is a relatively cooler site in general. It is maybe east northern facing and on its own it would not be an issue. The issue is that the 2011 vintage is quite challenging and it was responsible for wines made for early consumption. Whites did better than the reds so I feel more safe here now with this specific wine we'll see in a second. The reason why I kept this wine in my wine fridge is because it is burgundy. You will see that it is quite difficult to find back vintages off burgundy in you know secondary markets. And if you will find some there is risk that they have not been stored perfectly. So not the most reliable sellers from and they might cost quite a fortune. So of course it almost felt difficult of letting go you know some of those burgundy wines that you have in your wine fridge or wine cellar. But let's taste the wine and see. It's good! Another thing about this early 2000s you know and maybe 2010s as well is we had a lot of discussion about premox premature oxidation. So of course that also bothered me a little bit and that was specifically an issue of white wines. So yes this one on the nose seems quite fresh and I would say that it is not youthful but you have that stone fruit character. There's also something interesting though. Let me just converse with the wine a little bit. But also allow me to show the color of the wine. It is not that deep. So this wine is 15 years old. It comes from a challenging vintage as I said before and the color is really good. It is well it was well developed wine for its age. I think the nice thing about it it has been only in the cellars of the producer and then in the cellars of Agnes. Let's taste it. I've been smelling this wine for a while. This would be a really interesting discussion at the round table and to see and hear other people's opinions because currently it is just me talking. I will be honest I don't think that this is the greatest wine. It is live. It still shows ripe yellow fruit, pear, apricot, that yellow crunchy apple as well. It also shows a bit of astringency on the finish and it could be due to the challenging vintage because we had both heat and we had rain when we didn't want to have rain or extended rain and there was drought periods as well. So you know maybe producers could not or did not know how to react to all those climatic disasters that they experienced. Because I do enjoy this producer in general and their later wine styles are much much nicer. I will give this wine 89 points. I feel like there's this vein of something really beautiful but there's also some crumbly and clumsy elements around it although the finish is actually quite nice nicely done. Yeah I wish I would have opened this wine maybe four five years before when there was more energy to it. Let's move to the next wine. So the next wine here is by accident because I know for sure that this bottle can age magnificently for another 10, 20, 30 years and it is Franz Hitzberger Riesling Zingeridel. Zingeridel is a single Smarag level 2013 vintage and coming from Wachau, Austria. So Riesling in general can age quite well. Even the worst Rieslings I think because of their elevated acidity they can hold their ground quite well. The reason why it is here by accident is because when I did the audit of my wine fridges I noticed that there was some leakage and it might have come from other bottle that I had in my wine fridge as well but I think that this was this. And of course it is good to once in a while go through your wines and find you know some of the bottles that might leak. That is completely normal because not all quirks are perfect and not all quirks seal the wines perfectly. Also we always tend to blame the quirks but the inside of the glass snack bottle are not always perfect as well. So it is good to sometimes check on your bottles. So this is the reason why I decided to take this bottle out of my wine fridge and enjoy it with you guys together. Let's see. So this producer likes to harvest their wines quite late. This is something that I always enjoy in the wines. I like when they show a lot of flavor and that you can achieve with a long hang time. And Riesling really likes long hang time. And we can see that it is Riesling already. I think it is deeper in color than the Chardonnay was. And it is two years younger. Let's smell it. Let's taste it. I just love this wine so much. You know lately wine producers especially in Austria and Germany are starting to talk about the fact that the DDN or the kerosene aromas in Riesling that some of us really like and enjoy and are actually actively seeking out in wines are a fault. And that happens when you expose your grapes to the increased sunshine and UV radiation. I do feel slight hint of kerosene here. But kerosene can also develop in Rieslings with age. And this wine is 12 years old. And that slight delicate hint in this specific case adds a bit of complexity, adds depth to the fruit. Which is ripe stone fruit, peaches, apricots. Almost slightly cooked without any sugar added. Just cooked within their own juices. So you know you almost feel some of that caramelization of the sugars of the fruit skins. There's also some herbal spiciness to it. It is so so intense and on the nose so inviting. It's almost like an elixir that just tells you enjoy me and drink me. This producer knows their craft. I like them a lot. They have been sometimes criticized for you know allowing grapes to hang on their wines for too long. But they are in Spitz. Spitz is one of the coolest areas of the house. So it is only natural that they harvest later than the rest of the region. And rarely have I ever felt that their wines lacked acidity or lacked freshness or lacked elegance. Yes they are big. Yes they are opulent in style. As much as Riesling can be opulent and larger and bigger. Because in general that grape variety is really slim and focused. But I mean while I speak with you I feel the acidity coming back again. Despite the fact that on the palate it almost felt sweet and oily. Not in a way that it's bad. But that really high elevated acidity just added elegance and added freshness and cut through that oiliness. That that richness of the flavor rather than oiliness actually if I'm being honest. I think I have opened this bottle at the precise time you know at its peak. It's beautiful. I am sure it could still be aged for another 5-10 years. But I mean it is so beautiful to drink it exactly right now. It is you know there's some of the energy has calmed down while it allows also the wiseness that this wine has to really shine and educate us all. So I will give this wine, I like this a lot, I will give this wine 95 points. So with third wine we are in Bordeaux finally. And when it comes to Bordeaux it is one region that I would say you can age your wines and really forget about your wines in the wine cellars without any guilt. Because those wines always constantly in every blind tasting feel taste younger than they actually are. And this wine is quite an oldie at least in my taste. It is 1988 vintage. It is not a Grand Vin. It is the second wine of Chateau Pichon Comtesse de la Lame. And at that time the second wine was named a Réserve de la Comtesse. And I think now it is Pichon Comtesse Réserve. And historically of course you would always have a bit more Merlot in the blend for the second wines. And of course with Grand Vins we would always have greater percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. That would be one reason why I would argue that this wine maybe needed to be opened relatively soon. And the second reason is of course because it is the second wine. The Grand Vins always age better or usually age better and longer than the second wine. Second wines in a way are made to allow you to enjoy you know the wine style that you really like and love while the Grand Vins are actually aging. So 1988 was quite good vintage. It was maybe not exceptional but it definitely delivered really beautiful and age worthy wines. So Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de la Lande, I'm trying to pronounce it all, it had actually in 80s and 70s, 70s and 80s, it had its peak, its glorious times and it really had you know beautiful wines released. And then at the start of the 90s, so we are at the edge, they started to shake a little bit. So of course this could also be a question mark at what point you know they really started to shake. But in 86 they really redid all the premises and introduced stainless steel tanks, new tanks in the winery. So it really still should be a great wine albeit quite mature. So let's taste. I mean in the color you can see that this wine has seen age but in the it does not seem dull. So it still has that you know brightness of color and still has that beautiful albeit slightly meaty fruit note on the nose. So I have here slight hint of leather element and black earth and like forest floor as well. There's also a lot of notes of dried blueberries and dried cassis. But overall it is a very absolutely beautiful classic nose of classic Bordeaux. Let's taste it. Interesting because on the nose I felt like it's going to be a bit more richer, more concentrated and maybe with higher acidity. However here acidity was really nicely integrated. In all honesty it didn't feel so high as I would expect from Bordeaux. And what really struck me right now thinking about Bordeaux is that how style of Bordeaux has really changed. Because I've tried, I've been really fortunate enough to try you know younger vintages as well, recent vintages. And I like that style. It is you know a bit richer. It is definitely more approachable when it's young at its youth. And here you have some of that restrained character. You have shyness that not that common you would see nowadays in you know the last over the last 10 years I guess. So it is really interesting experience. And to be really honest with you you know I always tell that I like my wines youngish. But Bordeaux is a region that I wouldn't mind drinking 20 and 30 year old Bordeaux wines. I think those are the wines that you can truly age and you know they still feel youngish in their soul constantly even when they're 30 year old. I will give this wine 90 points. Let's move to the last one. All right so the last wine we are actually in Piemonte. Specifically in Barolo Per Cristina from Domenico Clerico 2005 vintage. And again you might want to say Agnes it's just 20 years and Barolos can age for quite a long time. That's true. I agree. Not that I always enjoy really old Barolos. But they can for sure age. However 2005 vintage was not the greatest vintage in the Barolo area. It was actually quite challenging as well. And so the wines were never characterized as wines meant for aging. They were more meant for immediate consumption or early consumption if you will. And there were two reasons why I never got to open it. Of course first of all because it is one of the top wines from Domenico Clerico estate. And I actually got this wine when I was visiting the estate. And they were very generous to share a couple of bottles of Per Cristina with me as well. I have drunk almost all of them and I think only one is left. But there are other few more reasons. So first of all this wine is quite expensive. And of course it is difficult you know to open really expensive bottles as your everyday beverage in the evening. That's one thing. The other thing is that Domenico Clerico not that long ago passed away. I think it was in 2017. And of course you also want to nurture and you know have those bottles as memories of your visit in your wine fridge. But then again I am sure he would be more happy that the wines were opened and enjoyed rather than you know left in the wine fridge or wine cellar just to later become a vinegar or never opened at all. So Domenico Clerico really started his career as being part of the modernists. So you know a bit deeper color as we can see with the Barolo small oak barrels. And of course as with many modernists of Lange. And now we see that they really have merged and you know taken the best they can from traditionalists and the best they can from modernists. So of course their style evolved over the years. But we are seeing now that despite it being 20 plus years old it is quite deep in color, quite unusual for Nubiolo. And on the nose it maybe does not have that perfume that I associate with Barolo wines. Because I usually find them really floral and maybe slightly truffly as well. This one shows riper black and blue fruit dominance. That blue really ripe slightly dried blueberry and blackberry character. There's also some beautiful smokiness and almost mentholy hint in it. It seems to have a lot of power on the nose and a lot of structure and a lot of things to say on the nose. Let's taste it. Wow! I think this wine is at its peak to be enjoyed right now. It has that really mouth covering, that you know really dense textured tannin, that chalky tannin. The tannin is beautiful here. It is just a lot and it might not be to everyone's taste. The good thing here is that this wine still has a lot of mid palate and oomph and depth on the mid palate. And that ripe fruit profile that I felt on the nose, it also persists on the palate. So you have that body that holds that skeletal character of the tannins here. And I think this is why this wine still works at its age. I will give this wine 91 point. I'm quite happy I opened it right now. I think it is currently in that drinking peak, drinking window. And you know some of us call it peak but it not necessarily is one single vintage or year when you can drink it. There's actually you know quite a lot of years during which the wine can be quite enjoyable. I don't think that more time would necessarily benefit or you know harm this wine. But I think it is drinking quite nicely right now. And I'm happy that I had it and I'm happy that I am remembering the moments when I was there and the stories about the wine and why it is called Per Cristina. Just make sure to find it out as well. So we have tasted the four wines that I found in my wine fridge that I was not so sure about. In all honesty I will tell you that I feel quite comfortable about my wine fridge. I haven't done the wine fridge audit for a while and I feel safe for the moment. There were not a lot of wines that really needed to be opened right away. I think they're good. And I also want to tell you that whenever I say that I personally prefer younger, fresher, zestier wines, for me the sweet spot for majority of wine styles is 10 years. So even if you would have been tasting today 2016, I would still refer to that wine as this fresh, zesty and youngling in a way. Of course it depends on the wine style. If it would have been Prosecco or Pinot Grigio, I would maybe think of it a bit older. Or you know previously I discussed a lot of Rosés that I have unopened that are maybe past their best, because they're just three, five, six, ten years old. But in general 10 years for me sweet spot. For Bordeaux it would be 20, 30 max. But in general I do enjoy fresher, younger wine styles and I think it proved here as well. So thank you very much for watching this video. Let me know in the comment section below when was the last time you did a wine audit with your collection? Do you have a wine collection? Are you also guilty for keeping wines a bit too long and then you are disappointed? Or you're actually someone who really enjoys quite mature and evolved and developed bottles? And meanwhile make sure to watch this video next!