It’s the most overused saying in wine- “a fine wine gets better with age.” Is that true, or is it just well meaning wine lovers repeating something they heard?
No place is known better for aged wines than Bordeaux, France, and in this video, Certified Sommelier John Alanis puts this saying to the test with two excellent Right Bank Saint Emilion Bordeaux wines, the 2021 Chateau Barde Haut vs the 2001 Chateau Barde Haut.
He doesn’t just taste them, he (and a friend) drink both bottles and compare how they evolved and changed before declaring a winner. John also gives his proprietary Whole Bottle Review of each bottle.
The John Alanis Magical Wine Whole Bottle Review Scale
100 Perfection, find a bottle once every 5 years, indescribably Magical, never forget it, impossible to convey in mere words.
99 Almost perfect, find a bottle every one to two years, Magical, makes you feel emotions/feelings you’ve never felt before, takes you forward and back in time, swirling memories
98 Magical wine, find a bottle two to three times a year, takes you places, evokes emotions, and brings ups old memories
97- Almost Magical, hints at places and memories, evokes emotion, but not quite magical. Fantastic evolution of the wine, finishes at a different place than where it started, flavors outshine emotions.
96- Fantastic flavor experience, bottle evolves and changes, evokes some emotion, but experience is all about the wine. We want this to be our “floor” every time we drink a bottle, but we must choose a bottle with the potential to meet these expectations.
95 Great flavor, mouthfeel, some evolution and change, focus is completely on the wine, doesn’t evoke emotion.
94 and below- enjoyable bottle of wine, goes great with food and friends, first sip and last sip are pretty much identical. Doesn’t evoked any emotion or trigger any memories, but was thoroughly enjoyable from a taste experience. Good to drink when you just want a glass
5 Comments
Loveeee the review!!!! Yet to have st emilion wines. I’m very impressed with the Riedel glasses; are these Vinum XL?
“Want the quick take? Check my Shorts series here → https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAcXbb_TwaK7OffCFXxifZOKVMJ1oeFgD
I use a Durand opener for aged wines; works wonderfully to extract cork without breaking.
Very fine wine? I wouldn’t use that house plus you’re doing one wine to draw conclusions. Weak study
Hype…wait 25 years before you open it.