Find Prime Older Vintages on Aisle 5
by James Robinson, Your Co-op Sommelier
For most of us, shopping for and drinking wine amounts to stores shelves, pantries and tabletops filled with young vintages – fresh juice from all corners of the globe, often at discounted prices.
While drinking young wine is often borne from economic necessity, it is also a cultural phenomenon. I’m generalizing here, but often Americans don’t like to wait for their wine. We like to drink it soon after bottling. We approach wine like a cocktail – we like our wines big, boozy, and as inexpensive as possible. We often drink them without food, or with little regard for what we’re eating, and they make a fine surrogate to the martini or Manhattan. But for those that have experienced an aged wine, there is no doubt that a whole new viticultural world can unfold.
Aged wines, or vintage wines, offer the drinker an opportunity to experience the fruit at an entirely different level. Gone is the rambunctious, exuberant, flamboyance of youth and instead the fruit presents poise, grace, subtlety and nuance that can only be achieved through the gentle unfurling of time in the cellar and bottle. Aromas and flavors that were just whispers when the wine was young present themselves in fuller form after the passage of time.
The good news for Co-op members is that Aisle 5 has a number of options for those keen to experience ready to drink older vintages. In addition, there are a handful of options, if one is so inclined, that are worth cellaring. All the offerings listed here have been selected from exceptional vintages and from producers and importers who cellar the wine at the winery and release them only when they are in their prime and ready to drink. In other words, these aren’t wines to lay down much longer. These are vintage wines ready to be drunk and enjoyed now.
R. López de Heredia – The Port Townsend Food Co-op is proud to offer two tiers of Rioja from the world-class bodegas of R. López Heredia. Lopez Heredia is benchmark Rioja – full of poise and power, grace and style. R. Lopez Heredia is as old school as Rioja gets. At $23.99 the 2011 Viña Cubillo (a crianza level wine) is arguably the best deal on Aisle 5. For those wanting a richer, more voluptuous experience, try curling up with a glass of the reserva 2008 Viña Bosconia. The wines of R. Lopez de Heredia rarely disappoint.
Château D’ Arlay 2013 Corail Côtes du Jura – Jura is a French wine region located between Burgundy and Switzerland. It’s a cool-climate growing region famous for alpine-style wines made from a variety of grapes including Chardonnay, Savagnin, Poulsard, Pinot Noir and Trousseau. The 2013 Corail is produced from a co-fermented blend of the five aformentioned grape varieties – then aged for two years in barrels. It offers aromas of ripe, red fruit anchored by notes of sweet spices. The Corail is a distinct expression of a very special appellation.
Lionel Faury L’Art Zele 2012 Collines Rhodaniennes – This is glorious syrah from the northern Rhône near St. Joseph. Aromas of licorice, pepper, smoke and spice mingle with elixir of pomegranate. Delicious, sumptuous, heady and ready to drink.
Domaine Robert Chevillon 2014 Bourgogne – A delicious entry-level Pinot Noir from an excellent vintage and one of Burgundy’s top producers. This is a light to medium bodied wine with floral notes, aromas of red berries and a backbone of earthiness and minerality. Any exploration of Burgundy warrants a taste of the wines of Robert Chevillon.
Château le Puy 2016 ‘Emilien’ – Despite being produced for more than 400 years without a drop of pesticide, the certified organic Chateau Le Puy is one of the most oft overlooked chateau in Bordeaux. Brimming with vitality and verve, the Emilien is made from 100 percent merlot, and is one to drink now for the sheer thrill of experiencing Bordeaux as it should be, or buy one and cellar it for later. I’ve got one stashed to open in 16 years on my daughter’s twenty-first birthday.
