France's Burgundy region is one of the most acclaimed wine producing regions and is a favorite among those wine aficionados with the most discerning and refined palates. Serious wine collectors always end up in this region. Extremely tiny and very, very limited productions result in many wines from this region being highly sought-after prizes. Typically, the demand for high-end Burgundian wines far exceeds the supply that's out there for purchase.
It's always fun and interesting to taste a younger wine side-by-side with an older wine produced in the same exact area and appellation. You can really gain some valuable insight as to how the younger wine will evolve and what it will taste like years from now. We decided to experiment with this idea again and sampled two wines from the same appellation, Charmes Chambertin, but with different producers & vintages. We chose a young 2005 Vincent Girardin Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru and an irreplaceable and older bottle of 1988 Jaffelin Charmes Chambertin Grand Cru. We thought this would make an excellent pairing for the char-grilled loin of Lamb, fresh steamed mixed vegetables and wonderfully prepared mashed sweet potatoes.
Opening up a back-vintage bottle of Burgundy is one of the most unique experiences & usually involves a debate as to whether or not we will actually open the bottle after staring at it for what feels like forever. Why such a debate? Well...there usually are very few, if any, bottles on the market that we are about to pull the cork from. Knowing that the Jaffelin Charmes Chambertin was an irreplaceable bottle, pristinely stored, that we'd never get to experience again, we stared even longer at the bottle trying to decide whether now was the "perfect" and right moment. Then someone said, "you only live once; let's do it," & that's what ended the conversation. Understood & agreed. Out came the cork of the '88 Jaffelin bottle! Sometimes, we all need that little push to open the bottle...
Vincent Girardin's Charmes Chambertin was exactly what we expected - a bright and brilliant ruby red, very pleasing to both the nose and the palate and also a little tight at first, but it came around after a short decanting. This wine will be so amazing in 10-20 years. The Jaffelin Charmes Chambertin was heavenly, soft and refined like many old Burgundies we'd had before. The Jaffelin was a softer texture, flamboyant and dramatic with a wonderful bouquet of flowers and delicious red berries. On the palate was rich berry fruitiness backed up by a touch of spice, tobacco and lots of soft tannin in the finish. They just get so much better with time. One thing is for sure, this experiment really proved what a young Burgundy like the '05 Vincent Girardin Charmes Chambertin could very well taste like in 15+ years.
Our recommendation: So that you can taste the perfection and beauty of a 15+ year Burgundy at some point in your life, you should pick up some young Burgundy, like the 2005 Vincent Girardin Charmes Chambertin, while it's not only still available, but is also reasonably priced. Store these away in your cellar for the next 10, 15 or 20 years. What a fabulous surprise you'll discover years later! Definitely worth the wait!