When I visit my cellar in this time of pandemic, I look fondly on all of those old wines that I’d like to consume before my untimely demise. There’s not a lot to do outside of the home during a pandemic, which has been a boon to the alcoholic beverage industry, and it’s safer to stay home than to visit my local wine shop. So I’ve been dutifully working through my older wines for six months now. Unfortunately, more often than not I’ve been disappointed. However, I have recently stumbled upon a couple of stellar examples of perfectly aged wine.

The 1991 Peju Province H.B. Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the most vibrant older wines I’ve ever experienced. It was aged in my cellar at a constant 62 degrees Fahrenheit. There was no ullage, the cork came out in one piece, and decanting left only a small bit of grainy sediment. In general, I find that California Cabernet Sauvignon does not age particularly well after twenty years. Nonetheless, this twenty-nine-year-old Peju was bright with explosive black cherry on the nose, medium body, and the addition of black plum skin and cinnamon notes on the palate. There was a nice acid backbone with just a touch of tannin adding to the structure, and a lingering finish. Though it will continue to evolve over the next decade, I think it’s at its peak right now. I wish I had a case of it.

A decade younger, at 19-years-old the Cascina Adelaide, Preda Barolo, is also a wine at its right peak now. The bottle was in good shape and the cork came out in one piece. Few wines are worth aging, most wine today being designed for early consumption. But Barolo demands a little age in order for the tannins to bind with the pigment and precipitate out. There was a lot of sediment in this wine, most sheeted onto the inside of the bottle. With a nose reminiscent of red cherries and red roses, it had little tannin, but bright acidity and a minerally finish. When it’s aged, Nebbiolo is somewhat reminiscent of a delicate Pinot Noir.

As long as the pandemic is keeping me home, I’ll continue to explore my cellar and give you some general impressions on the efficacy of aging different styles of wine. After all, somebody has to do it!