Views: 48

六瓶 Barolo 與 Barbaresco 老酒可算是驚喜多，失望少。六、七十年代的 Brunello ，卻幾乎全軍盡墨！

最老的一瓶是 1967 的 Biondi Santi 。霉氣霉味，淺磚色，果味只剩下一點點，比較簡單，但還有些 acidity ，也算是平衡的酒。1967 並非特別出色的年份，但按道理， Biondi Santi 的Riserva 酒是可以陳年一百年的，這瓶雖然不是Riserva ，總不應如此，估計是儲存出了問題，只能怨自己的運氣了。

 

 

Costanti 的三瓶 Brunello 是另一種風光。1967 Riserva 是「大霉」， 1970 Riserva 是「中霉」，而 1975 則是「小霉」。1970 與 1975 都是上佳的年份；事實上，在霉味之下，仍可以聞到有不錯的成熟梅子氣味。酒的顏色很深，酒體也豐厚，果味甜美而複雜，兼且有不錯的酸度令酒有很好的平衡度。我相信是因為酒桶不乾淨而非儲存的問題。

Biondi Santi 與Costanti 同是 Montalcino 的歷史名莊，像 Giacomo Conterno 一樣，用來陳年的老木桶既有風味也有危險，一不小心會讓微菌比我們捷足先登！

 

 

在接二連三的挫折之後，兩瓶 1970 Fattoria dei Barbi 的 Riserva 酒讓我有莫大的驚喜。一瓶是單一葡萄園 Vigna dei Podernovi ，另一瓶只標明是Riserva 。

兩瓶酒都乾淨，沒有霉味。顏色與 Costanti 不一樣，都比較淺色。

Podernovi 有乾果與 cherry 氣味，還有一點肉味，味道只餘一絲絲的甜味，乾淨但淡淡的。酒已跑到生命的最後階段，這可以稱作 grace 吧！

Riserva 卻很有生氣，除了 Sangiovese 典型的 cherry 之外，還有濕泥土與肉味。味道開始時是清甜與優雅，透氣半天以後，酒體逐漸膨脹，有力量，醉人的甜味，一派成熟後期的魅力。我把半瓶酒留到第二天喝，竟然果味猶存，只是失去了一點 freshness 。 Life is so amazing！

我細心看1970 Fattoria dei Barbi Riserva 的酒標，發現這瓶酒當年拿了個名叫“Torchio d’Oro” 的葡萄酒比賽獎。據資深的意大利酒友說，這個獎當年是頒給全意大利最好的酒的，今天則主要針對 Piedmont  地區的某些酒。

二、三十年前，Fattoria dei Barbi 是個非常有名的酒莊，莊主兼女釀酒師 Francesco Colombini Cinelli 當時曾受到 Sheldon Wasserman 的高度評價﹕

In the great vintages, years like 1970 and 1975, the Colombini Brunellos have an uncommon elegance and finesse as well as extraordinary balance and style.  In vintages like these there is no finer Brunello produced.  Indeed, very few, if any, equal.

 

 

這兩年我喝過好幾瓶八十年代的 Brunello （包括 Costanti 與 Biondi Santi ），都是上好的酒，但這幾瓶六、七十年代的酒卻令我頗為失望。我不禁懷疑﹕ Brunello 的陳年能力是否遠遜于 Barolo ？

為此，我向我的意大利好友Carlo 請教，他給我的回答是蠻有趣的，讓我原文照錄，與同好分享﹕

This is my opinion on the aging potential of Brunello.

In the years from 1960 to 1980 the wine producers in Tuscany were not interested in making quality wines because at that time because the market did not request such products and they adapt to the requirements of the market.

Piedmontese producers, however, even in that period despite the difficult market , made high quality wines for their personal choice.

The character and attitude towards life of the people of Tuscany is very different from that of the people of Piedmont.

The people of Tuscany are happier and think very fun and enjoy life.

For them, every occasion is right to laugh and make fun, friendly, of all people and all things even death.

The people of Piedmont are always very serious and kind and can not understand when you are joking.

For them life is a very serious thing to live with passion working hard …… almost a conviction.

Honestly, I think that this great difference in character resulting from many factors …. genetic diversity, history, climate.

However, to return to the wine, I think it’s fair compare the quality of wines made from Sangiovese with that of wines made from Nebbiolo only since 1985.

所以據我這位朋友的高見，Tuscany 的酒只適宜踫八十後！

我看除了 Carlo 提出的理由以外，還有一個外來的因素。有不少一流的Brunello winemakers 是七十年代末、八十年代初才開始從意大利別的地方遷移來 Montalcino 的，而且不少原來是幹別的行業的，例如﹕ Gianfranco Soldera 原來在米蘭做保險經紀；Cerbaiona 的Diego Molinari 原來是個飛機師，而Poggio di Sotto 的 Piero Palmucci 是做貨櫃船運輸的。這些新一代的 winemakers 與 Piedmont 的所謂 modernist winemakers 互相影照，他們促進了兩個最重要地區的品質飛躍！

 

後記﹕

Carlo 剛介紹我看這篇文章﹕http://news.soldera.it/editor/page.asp?i=242

一位名叫 Rino Fontana 的資深意大利酒鑒賞家述說他與老酒的羅曼史，非常有參考價值。

最後的一段話是﹕

When I ask him what his three best wines are, he appears to be in difficulty, as if he doesn’t know which ones to choose.  What a difficult question. Definitely Gianfranco Soldera 1979 Brunello is unforgettable. Then in Piedmont Bruno Giacorsa 1964 Santo Stefano di Neive Riserva. It’s difficult to choose one Barolo, but I have fantastic memories of Giacomo Borgogna 1931, the 1958 Monfortino and Giuseppe Mascarello 1964, that for sure.