Wine with Friends
This past weekend some dear friends brought this wine to our house. It was a 1989 Bordeaux that they recently bought in honor of the wife Carinne’s birthday. Her husband, Nano, worried, “Why was it so reasonably priced? Would it be good?! Would it be appropriate for dinner? Should we decant it? Should we save it for another time? Should we open it and see?”
You may have asked yourself similar questions about wine and not been sure what to do. Here’s how it went for us:
I asked Nano if he had another bottle they could try in case this experience was a bust. He did. That took some pressure off. I asked if he could get the bottle so I could look for signs that it might not be good. He could. Here’s what I looked for:
Had the wine level decreased, potentially letting too much air in? No.
Was the cork starting to pop through the foil, potentially having the same effect? No.
Did the bottle and the wine appear to be in good condition? Yes.
Should we crack it and see how it looks and tastes? Yes!
We poured a glass and it looked pretty good (was not cloudy) and appropriate for a 35 year old wine (turning more amber or slightly orange in color). In fact, if you look at the glass in this picture, you can see this wine doesn’t look very old at all. It has a nice ruby color. Against a white piece of paper, you can see the amber edges and highlights more clearly. Wine pros might call it garnet, which is basically a more amber or orange tinted red color.
We smelled the wine in the glass and it smelled pretty good (like lovely Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from France—a little rustic, still lots of grape aroma, not stale.)
We swirled the glass and it still smelled about the same, maybe even a touch more subtle—our sign not to decant. More oxygen would have destroyed the wine and left it too flavorless.
We tasted the wine and it was pretty good! I could tell that it was a moderately priced wine (probably $15-$20) made in an exceptional year (1989 was a great year for all Bordeaux wines: red, white, and dessert), which is why it held up. Would a wine of this quality last 35 years if it was produced in an off year? Maybe not.
Could I tell that my friends had mostly stored it safely in their wine cellar or wine fridge, but that it may have been exposed to some heat in its delivery to them or me? Yes. Is this a wine that is either at its peak or is a bit post peak? Yes. How can I tell? It wasn’t as hearty and robust as you’d expect a Bordeaux to be and drank more like a Pinot Noir with some extra tannins. Could that just be because of the average quality of the wine? Yes. Was it fabulous with cheese and crackers out on the back deck on a Sunday night? Yes. Is it a little too light to pair with a big steak? Yes. Would it work better with a burger, charcuterie plate, or even chicken? Yes. Should they drink their other bottle this year and not wait to find out how long it can last? Yes.
Do I believe it’s more fun to try and share wines like this with friends or loved ones? Absolutely, which is why I’m so glad they cracked this one with us.
Hope this helps you the next time you’re wondering whether it’s time to crack open an old bottle.
Chin!
