The Tantalizing 1958

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經過兩場 Barolo 測試,我們發現1996 剛開始了漫長的成熟過程,1978 則已步入黃金歲月。我開始在想﹕那 1958 又如何?意大利老酒權威Sheldon Wasserman 曾稱讚 1958 “one of the all time greats”

我們終于與  Kevin 和 Jacqueline 一起拜會了 Angelo Gaja 的父親 Giovanni ,他的兩件作品 Barolo  Barbaresco 提供了很有趣的答案。  

 

Kevin 的說法,Gaja 1958 Barolo 1958 Barbaresco 更好,他喜歡他的「滲透力」。他講這話的時候雙手在臉頰兩旁用力地做著划艇的動作。

 

早上開瓶的時候,發現 Barolo 的瓶塞已經發霉,酒的顏色淡如稀釋了的果汁,但Barbaresco 的瓶塞幾乎完好,酒也發著亮麗的中度紅寶石顏色。

 

Barolo 有淡淡的乾花氣味,最難忘的是他有一股清幽和揮之不去的花粉味。入口感覺到有如輕風似的身段,奇怪的是他還帶著很實在、很深沉的果味,而且甜絲絲的回味極長,如他的香氣一樣揮之不去。

你可以說他氣若游絲或風燭殘年,但我想起的是Horowitz 晚年的演奏會,八十歲的老人步向鋼琴時身子還在打顫,但琴聲一起,便有如大珠小珠落玉盤,年齡不過是個數字罷了。

我的感覺是酒已快走到生命的盡頭,軀殼幾已脫掉,今天餘下的是他的 essence ,而他的名字是果。

在這之前,我們嘗到的是各種各樣對「果」的演繹。到如今,不用任何演繹,我們直接面對的是果自身。

老子說﹕「為學日益,為道日損」。知識與智慧的區別在此,年青的酒與老酒的區別也在此。在智慧的世界裏, less is more Giovanni Gaja 1958 Barolo 讓我看到 Nebbiolo essence ,這在 1978 1996 只是一強一弱的暗示。  

回到 Kevin 講的「滲透力」,以前聽過他好幾次這樣說,但到現在我才知道我的理解有誤。我原來以為滲透力是豐滿的意思,指的是酒的各種味道與感覺重重包圍著我們的感官,好像滲透到每一角落。但對于這瓶只餘 essence 1958 Barolo ,怎麼也不能說他有滲透力吧?

我們喝酒的晚上他很 high ,根本無法進行理性的討論,所以過了兩天我才敢打電話問他滲透力是不是指 permeating enveloping ,他卻簡單的回我說是 tantalizing 的意思。後來他又補充道﹕I did feel the acidity, tannins, fruit and mineral — all drenched and drained, leaving behind some impression worthy of re-interpretation

我開始明白了。Kevin 像個考古學家一樣,憑著一點蛛絲馬跡便可以觀天下,旁人以為他只憑想像,但如果你嘗過千萬種酒,便知道酒只有一種 essence ,從此幻變出果、酸、丹寧、礦物等等。滲透力是智的一種,從果、酸、丹寧、礦物可以直透他們的根源﹕果。果可以感悟而不可以觸摸,所以是個可望而不可即的世界,故此說tantalizing 。有位高手把tantalizing 翻成「鏡花水月」,妙絕!

所以我可以勉強的說我與 Kevin 想到一塊處了,我們同時與 Nebbiolo essence 打了個大照面,我們大概只有漸悟與頓悟之別。

 

1958 Barbaresco 的顏色更鮮亮,氣味與口感都更強烈,而且丹寧好像還沒有完全溶化,是酒的保存較好還是 Gaja 自家栽種的葡萄品質更好,這個我暫時不得而知。

這瓶酒的果味較強烈,放到第二天還維持七、八成,證明 1958 確是個偉大的年份,唯一美中不足的是他有比較濃的像醬油似的氣味〔Barolo 第一天便被 Kevin  sediments 一傾而盡,所以是否可以多放一天,不得而知〕。但四平八穩的 Barbaresco,今天絕對沒有「單純」的 Barolo 來得吸引;或許再過十年八載會更好吧,但我到哪裏可以再找到另一瓶?

喝了兩瓶狀態不錯的1958 以後,我心裏有一個新疑問﹕1947 又如何?

 

後記

  1. Gaja 1958 Barolo 是很特別的一瓶酒。 Gaja 一直是 Barbaresco 最大的地主,但早期的 Barolo 所用的葡萄,都是從別人那裏買的,葡萄園位于 Serralunga 一塊名為 Marenca 的田。Angelo Gaja 1960 年加入家族企業後的一年,公司決定以後只用自己種的葡萄來釀酒,所以 1958 年可能是前 Angelo Gaja 時期最好的 Gaja Barolo 。直到1988 年,Angelo Gaja 才有機會買下同一塊葡萄田〔這點是我在某個網站看到的〕,所以他們過了差不多三十年才得以重新推出 Barolo ,取名為 Sperss ,是 nostalgia 之意,看來 Angelo Gaja 一直不能忘懷他們在 Barolo 的歲月!
  2. 1958 是 Angelo Gaja 進行大刀闊斧改革以前的產物,也就是說還是屬于「傳統派」的制作。比較兩代人的作品,不禁再次問傳統好還是現代好的老問題。我還是沒有答案!

 

5 則評論在 The Tantalizing 1958.

  1. Sometimes, I drink the history and age of the wine more than the wine itself. From your notes, it reminescents some of my old age Barolos'. One always intrigued by imagining what the wine will be like when they are at the peak when drinking it at the end of its journey!
     
    [版主回覆07/21/2011 00:09:00]I could have said YES, but then what is really "peak"?  Is it like the highest point in a normal distribution?  But is there such a thing as this Barolo or this Bordeaux's normal distribution?  I used to favor an analogy to human aging, but it doesn't help when we really want to identify when a specific human being peaked. 
     
    Is there an Uncertainty Principle here? 

  2. My theory is , if the wine has passed the hypothetical peak based on a certain well recognised criteria, then there will be another set of rules to judge the performance of the wines which is more personal. Of  course the term  "peak" is still very subjective. Americans and Brits sees it differently. I am more on the Brits side! Liking more of the decaying beauty, the rotten leaves, old campher box, turned earth, mildew, leather than pure fruit and overdone new oak.
    [版主回覆07/21/2011 08:33:00]I can understand what you like about aged wine, but still think the concept of "peak" confuses rather than clarifies.  Wine is not a competitive sport.  

  3. 好酒如人生,在每一个时期,都可以活得精彩,自主快活!
    [版主回覆07/22/2011 21:47:00]正是此意﹕只要活在 其中 ,自然精彩。年齡不過是個數字。

  4. You say Horowitz; I say Segovia. Both were old, and had been the most expressive performers. I like this one. 
    [版主回覆07/23/2011 16:33:00]I took out all my Segovia CDs today and tried to follow him from his early '30s to his '70s.  Interestingly, I discovered that although Horowitz was Segovia's junior by 10 years, they both gave their last concert in 1987, the year Segovia went to heaven.  Horowitz was to follow him two years later.
     
    I have just ordered Horowitz last concert on CD, but it seems Segovia's last album "Reveries" was released in 1978, and is available on vinyl only. 

  5. Apparently all Segovia's analog recordings including 'Reveries' have been digitized? Great to learn that you know about Segovia too!
    [版主回覆07/25/2011 07:59:00]Great to know both Segovia and you!

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