さらに今月立て続けにもう1本は半世紀遡ること1969年のChâteau Mouton Rothschildです！これは自分が保管しておいた友人のためのヴィンテージ・ボトルで、ようやく祝いの開栓という機会が訪れた訳です。ところがセラーから取り出してみるとこれが惨憺たる状態で、「ああ、勿体ない！」としばし絶句・・・。経年にコルクが耐えられず中から液が漏れ出して、中身の量も減っているし、キャップの周りはカビで盛り上がっている。これは祝いのディナーには諦めて、食事後我が家で｢嘆きの開栓式｣を執り行った。さぞや酸化して酸っぱいだろうと予想していたのを裏切るように｢何だか飲めますね｣との反応。歳を取るということはエッジが効いた個性的な角が取れ、丸くなったということなのだが、そこからもう一歩進んでボケ老人くらい特徴がぼんやりしている状態に感じるのは、この保存状態による劣化のせいなのか、単に経年と言えるのかは僕の経験からは何もわからない。でも一応古酒らしく祝い酒を飲めたことで御本人にも満足いただいて、痛みの跡が残る記念のエチケットも渡した。今、我が家のセラーに寝かせているボトルは最古参で1999のMouton Rothchild、あとは2000年代のものばかりなので、古酒になる前に飲み手が先に逝ってしまうでしょう。今のうちに飲んでおかないと･･･。
I had extremely rare occasions to face with some old wines from the previous century. One was Chambertin Clos de Bèze, 1996, and furthermore to horrify myself, it was an Armand Rousseau bottle! My friend picked it up from her cellar saying "because it is a special occasion", and I guess it would be fair to say the only chance for ever. The BYO bottle sat in a French restaurant in front of us. Not being basically in the living situation with vintage wines myself, I tend to consider the wines would be happy enough to be tasted while they are young rather than being laid down for years, but my friend ensured that it should be the right timing to enjoy. This faded color with the mild taste is the absolute result of aging, and at that very moment an idea splashed in my brain that said that my own aging had reached this level of maturity.
The price tag? Far beyond my imagination!
Another one in this month was Château Mouton Rothschild, 1969 - a half century back here! This was a bottle that I kept by myself as the vintage wine for a friend of mine, and finally the time has come to open it. But out of my cellar was shown a miserable bottle, and I had no word other than "merde!" Its cork could not stand with 50 years of patience, and the wine penetrated to drip out as the deterioration progressed. Inside the bottle remained less of the wine, and around the cap looked exploded with mold. As this was inappropriate for the celebration dinner, we decided to have a ceremonial opening afterward in my house expecting vinegar-like liquid - Rothschild for cooking! Surprisingly, "looks drinkable" was our reaction of tasting. Aging effect may be interpreted as rounding its edges - young and inherent characters - to bring everything milder gradually.
This case may be more steps ahead toward a senile status because its character seemed even more obscure and indistinctive, and I had no idea if it was because of this problem through cork deterioration or simply from aging of wine itself. Anyway, my friend in concern was happy to have tried the vintage wine (rather than a wine-vinegar) even though its label looked equally indistinguishable.
In my cellar, the oldest bottle is now the same Rothschild 1999 and the rest is mostly in the first decade of this century, and it means that I would have already vanished when they are truly old wines ... unless drink 'em now!
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