A Bit on the Mean Side

I love looking at older wines, but some vintages just don’t make old bones.  1977 for European table wine isn’t one to seek out.  I’m sure there’s lovely wines out there, but I haven’t seen too many, especially lately.  I know some were decent in a light, cool, and crisp way early on, but now with 35 years down the track they’re a bit on the mean side.

Lentil and Cookie opened a couple from their family cellar.  No point taking up room if they’re no good now?  A 1977 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape was brown and bricked out in colour, and quite tertiary with past the mushroom and undergrowth into earth and dirt.  Trying to be round and generous as Grenache and southern Rhone should be, but not enough gas in the tank.  It had the semblance of what it could have been, but really a little mean.  Less pleasing was the 1977 Ch. Beychevelle St Julien.  Always a medium weight and elegant wine, but now rather faded and skinny.  Acid sharpness and tartness.  Bitter greens and vegetables, with secondary and tertiary notes,  Definitely mean and lean, only as poor Cabernet Sauvignon can do so well.  To be fair, neither were dead and undrinkable.  But you didn’t want to drink them.  Now just curiosities.