Okay, so I’ve been messing around with some Pinot Noir, trying to figure out if this stuff actually gets better with age. You know, like do you really need to stash it away for years, or is it just fine to pop it open whenever?
First, I grabbed a few bottles from different places – some from France, a couple from Oregon, and one from New Zealand. I figured this would give me a decent range to play with. I also made sure to get different vintages, you know, some younger ones and a couple that were a bit older, already like 5 years old.
Then came the waiting game. I’m not gonna lie, I’m not the most patient guy, so this part was kinda tough. I tucked the bottles away in my basement where it’s nice and cool and just tried to forget about them. I did check on them every few months, just to make sure nothing crazy was happening, like a leaky cork or something.
After a couple of years, I decided to crack open one of the younger bottles, a 2007 bottle. I let it breathe for a bit, then poured myself a glass. It was pretty good – fruity, not too heavy, just what you’d expect from a young Pinot. I wrote down some notes about the taste, the color, like how it was this kind of light red, and any smells I could pick up. There were cherry and some spices, it was nice. Nothing mind-blowing, but a solid, enjoyable wine.
Then, a year later, I tried the same wine again. Honestly, it was different. It felt a bit smoother, and I started noticing some new flavors that weren’t there before, kind of earthy, like mushrooms or something. The color was also a bit darker. It was like the wine had grown up a little.
Next, I moved on to one of the older bottles I had, one that was already around 8 years old when I first got it. Now, this was a whole different ball game. This wine had a lot more going on. It was way more complex, with layers of flavors that kept changing as I swirled it around in my glass. It wasn’t just fruity anymore; it had this savory, almost meaty quality to it. And the color, it was way deeper, almost like a brownish-red.
- Young Pinot: Fruity, light, easy to drink.
- Aged Pinot: Smoother, more complex flavors like earth or mushrooms, deeper color.
- Really Aged Pinot: Layers of flavors, savory, almost meaty, brownish-red color.
So, what did I learn from all this? Well, Pinot Noir definitely changes as it ages. It’s not just some marketing gimmick. The younger ones are great if you want something light and fruity, but the older ones develop this whole new level of complexity that’s really interesting. It’s like they gain wisdom or something, haha.
But here’s the thing – not all Pinot Noir is meant to be aged for a super long time. Some are just made to be enjoyed young. It really depends on the specific wine, where it’s from, how it was made, and all that jazz. It’s not a one-size-fits-all kind of deal.
I’d say, if you’re curious about aging Pinot Noir, the best thing to do is just experiment. Grab a few bottles, try them young, then stash a couple away and see what happens. It’s a fun little experiment, and you get to drink some tasty wine along the way. Just don’t expect every bottle to turn into a masterpiece. It is more about the journey of discovery with these wines. And who knows, you might discover that you actually prefer them young. There is no right or wrong here. This is what I found to be enjoyable about aging.
