Hi Rauno, for me they are best at 5-8 years from vintage. I don’t think they don’t fall apart, but it is more that they don’t reliably evolve into something complex and interesting like Sangiovese or Nebbiolo wines can.
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I think this is about consistent with my experience. I did a tasting of around 25-30 of these across vintages/vineyards a year or so ago and it was a pretty consistent fall off after around 10 years. Their 2014s are great, but once we started getting much older than that the wines started falling flat. I still buy and enjoy them, and I think we were all particularly optimistic about the wines from around 2017 on.
I also visited back around 2014, coincidentally. Marc made a comment that in hindsight is obvious but it wasn’t to me at the time, to the effect that quite a few vineyards probably survived phylloxera all over the place, but it’s not like that was a thing at the time (or really, until fairly recently) and the vast majority would have been replanted for other reasons long ago on grafted rootstock.
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Hi Phil, does this “rule of 10” extend to the Don Peppino? Is the tasting you reference the Chicago tasting? I got sense per one CT notes, that perhaps 10YRs was the right age to try them for the more recent vintages? I have a 2017 and 2018 in storage… had marked them for a couple years from now. Thanks
It does and yes, that’s the tasting. The Don Peppino is the most interesting wine for me, but I didn’t note any significant difference in the aging curve. Maybe the newer vintages are different, but I’m no longer a buyer of that one at the current price.
Thanks, I guess the 2017 will be getting a look next year then! I was surprised by pricing when I checked - also not a vintage-agnostic buyer at current levels - but I can understand the hype, rarity, and relative value to those $250 Napa cabs 
I used to set up WS alerts to find them on sale, but they weren’t really ever triggered and it seems distribution has widened to Europe (I don’t recall so many listings for this particular wine in the UK/France, but maybe it’s always been the case).
Last night was too intoxicating for me to resist, had to pop an even older vine, Pre-phylloxera bottling. Marc Plouzeau. @salilb
I am watching the Director’s cut of Kingdom of Heaven, by Ridley Scott. Such an exceptional movie. I needed a Chinon, something cut from the Plantagenet regime.
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Hell yeah. Love that wine as you know. (Opened the 09 for my local tasting group a couple of weeks back, though I think I enjoyed it more than most of them.)
speaking of Chinon, '22 Grezeaux was gorgeous the other night. (i do not apologize for taking this thread totally off topic, because i know this is absolutely your sweet spot ;))
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Which vintage?
It would not be Berserkers without thread drift!
I’m glad you actually said that, I have not bought the 2022 vintage yet. I was pretty smitten by the 2021. Need to grab it!
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The 2016 vintage. Too young, frankly, but I like chewy wines anyway. They are automatics on this wine are just crazy.
LOL, I haven’t yet tried the '21 but I just put a bottle on deck (for this weekend, perhaps). But threw a 6 pk in the cellar on faith.
I assume an intense, tannic wine for an intense movie!
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I had a young Bordeaux open as well, the 2020 Chateau Ferriere. Wanted to check in, and yes, yet another winner for this Chateau, on a roll for sure.
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Welcome to Etna, it’s a one-way trip
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