Some wines with age! Luneau Papin, Lopez de Heredia and Ducru
Drinking wines with age on them can be rewarding. We’ve had the chance to pop some mature wines recently; here are four with two under $30!
Luneau Papin, L D’or, Muscadet, 1999 About $20
Muscadet is not the first thing you might think of when it comes to mature wine. But from the top producers, it can be worthwhile. I bought this wine from Crush Wine Co in NYC a couple of years ago as a late release from the winery. In the glass, it has a more golden color than most young Muscadet and aromas of delicate honey drops on wet rocks. Totally dry on the palate, the wine still has great acidity and minerality as well as a suppleness of age. We had it as an aperitif with cheeses but would also go well with seafood.
Lopez de Heredia, Rioja, rosado, 1997 About $25
Again, a rose is another category that might not leap to mind when thinking of mature wines. But with this twelve-year-old Lopez de Heredia, it’s practically the current release! If you’re looking for the freshness of a 2008 rose from Provence, well, stick to Provence. This rosado has a pink and amber hue, gorgeous mature, nutty aromas with dried rose petals and a luxurious texture on the palate. The bottle was empty too quickly!
Marques de Murrieta, Castillo Ygay, Gran Reserva Especial, Rioja, 1985
I bought this wine several years ago at Sam’s Wine in Chicago. Sadly, 24 years after the harvest didn’t work for this one and it was over the hill. As the saying goes, there aren’t great wines, just great bottles.
Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou, St. Julien, 1996
Now you might think 13 years on a top is just warming up. And for this wine you’d be right. A friend pulled this out of his cellar recently; he’d received it as part of a farewell, current release case when he left a company in Paris a few years ago. Provenance is particularly important for this wine, apparently, as some consumers have expressed frustration with bottle variation. However, our bottle was on. Still tightly wound in tannins, this big dog is a dark berry, spice, coffee flavoplosion! (Well, at least compared to these others.) Structured and drinking great now, but the tannic vigor on the finish will likely bode well for many years of future enjoyment.
Find these wines with wine-searcher
On September 11th, 2009 at 11:03 am ,Jeff wrote:
I recently had a bottle of the ’97 Lopez de Heredia Rose. It was definitely an interesting experience. Who would have thought that 12 year old rose would so interesting, fresh and tasty?
http://jeffswineblog.blogspot.com/2009/07/1998-lopez-de-heredia-vina-tondonia.html
On September 11th, 2009 at 11:57 am ,Manuel Camblor wrote:
Tyler,
If you liked the ’99 “L d’Or”, you should definitely seek out the gorgeous ’89, which routinely pops up in my old NYC stomping grounds. Great Muscadets age wonderfully.
Also, a recent bottle of ’88 Tondonia Rosado was delicious. The stuff goes out to the marketplace in a sort of suspended-animation state and stays fresh and vibrant for many years.
Best,
Manuel
On September 11th, 2009 at 1:19 pm ,Damien wrote:
Dear Dr. Vino,
Please keep your comments on the ageworthiness of Muscadet to yourself. Reading this post is like hearing someone share a secret of where to find morels or the whereabouts of a great fishing hole. The more people who know, the less there will be for us.
Factually you are correct on all fronts, they are beautiful with age and go great with cheese and roasted chicken too. However, please imagine the consequences for wine lovers like you and me if lots of people new that there are people making wines that sell for $15 that can age for 20+ years. Soon enough, the prices will rise and, heaven forbid, they will be scored too.
If more writers would continue to ignore the best producers making wines that sit on their lees for 2 years or more before release, then I will continue to be able to afford the cases and cases that I buy in years like 99, 02, 05, etc.
I would encourage you also not to mention the retailers who have the vision and the courage to sell these older wines when small releases come into the country. Perman Wines in Chicago, Chambers Street Wines in NY and others should not be bothered by customers other than you and me. If they are inundated with requests and sell out, from whom would I be able to buy my magnums of Excelsior (the cuvee above L D’or from Luneau Papin) that cost as much as $50?
And finally, I will thank you not to share tasting notes from the 1978 L D’or that I had two years ago from magnum in the Loire Valley that was the spitting image of older Chablis, only flintier and more alive.
Promise to keep all of the above to yourself and perhaps I’ll share some Muscadet from the 80’s with you next time you are in Chicago and we can laugh at all the people who spend lots of money on lesser wines.
Your friend and fellow Muscadet lover,
Damien
On September 11th, 2009 at 6:40 pm ,Wine of Month Club wrote:
Damien,
Not sure if I am suppose to laugh at that…I hope so. One thing about this blog and others like it, is that it helps to educate consumers about what is actually out there…so many great wineries and most people are still awed by the Mondavi, Gallo, anything French names. It’s too bad and frankly I think it holds the industry back in terms of both quality and revenue.
On September 13th, 2009 at 4:48 pm ,Damien wrote:
I am kidding indeed. These types of wines are why I am in the industry and why my partners and I started the company we did. We do not sell Muscadet at the momment, but hope to soon. As for laughing, I tend to laugh all the way to the bank when I open up these beauties and think about how much pleasure they contain per dollar of cost.
On September 15th, 2009 at 2:03 pm ,Erol Senel wrote:
Since you brought up Muscadet I thought I would refer you to Tokaji. Recently I experienced a real gem of a wine.
Here are the notes. It is not overly expensive either! $35 for 500mL (WS 95)
1999, Chateau Pajzos Aszu 5 Puttanyos, Tokaji
Hungary
– Very surprising and delicious. This wine had a brilliant golden hue. The nose was of honey and apricot which were mirrored on the palate along with some caramel. It had a beautifully viscosity and was sweet, rich with intensity, balance and character.
On September 20th, 2009 at 5:59 pm ,rueda wine wrote:
I just now found your blog and it’s great. I’ve found information which I’ve seen nowhere else! Congrats.
On October 5th, 2009 at 5:03 am ,Diego wrote:
The best rose i´ve ever tasted is ABANDO BARRELL FERMENTED. It´s great. I knew Roberto Ijalba at Bodegas Vina Hermosa in La Rioja (Spain).
On January 30th, 2010 at 5:50 pm ,Jake wrote:
Love the Heredia Rosado. I just tried the 98 again the other night and it was just as lovely as I remembered it being…
http://www.cherriesandclay.com/2010/01/30/a-taste-for-lopez-de-heredia/
Cheers