OK, the food pairing for rioja was not exactly ideal, but…not so many options these days.
Started with what I can safely call the oldest rose I’ve ever tasted – a 1987 Chivite Gran Feudo rosado with charcuterie. Color was a fairly deep reddish brown, like a sunset. Funky and highly oxidized, as one would expect. The wine was very much still alive, with some drying peach/rose notes. A curiosity and certainly drinkable, but not exactly my cup of tea. At this point we also opened a really delicious 2008 Jean Laurent Blanc de Blancs. (The wine was disgorged late, but I can’t recall when.) I have tried a few 2008 BdBs, and this was the best I’ve had. It had that electric tactile sense on the tongue, along with more breadiness than I would have expected, and lingered a very long on the palate. Tasted very young.
Next up, a (blind) 1982 Inglenook reserve cabernet sauvignon that had been decanted two hours prior. The nose was initially baffling, with an ashen quality coupled with a candied note that reminded me of a very old zin. In the mouth there was the slightest mint/eucalyptus suggestion that confirmed to me that we are in the New World, and likely cab. The wine actually continued to open up nicely, and even seemed to put on weight, even though it was overwhelmed by a very hearty cavatelli dish! After 30+ minutes it was fairly clear we had an old Cali cab – though I would have guessed 70s or older rather than 80s.
I have had many Faustinos, and have long felt they don’t get the respect they deserve. The frosted bottle thing? I don’t know. In any event, the 1982 Gran Reserva Faustino, crumbled cork and all, was one of the best riojas I’ve ever enjoyed. The fill was superb; decanted for 1-2 hours, the nose was all florals, cherry vanilla and spice. The kind of nose that was clearly rioja and one you don’t even want to drink. But wait – it was even better in the mouth! Over time it revealed what a guest (accurately) called a “Bloody Maria” of tomato, celery and maybe even cilantro? Held together with a perfect dose of acid. In sum, just terrific complexity, maturity apparent but quite far from old and or tired. Amazing what a bang for the buck can still frequently be had for GR rioja.
After the rioja it would have been hard for anything to really shine, frankly, and even the mighty Solaia 2004 was not quite up to the task. After a two hour decant, and served with roasted salmon, in the nose the wine had a slight roasted quality. Over time that heat gave way to a fairly silky mouthfeel. The wine struck me as much more “international” than “Tuscan” in profile. Perfectly drinkable, but rather nondescript. No complaints, but the experience confirmed that Solaia will remain ensconced in third place in my aia rankings (admittedly tough comps!).