Most older Chiantis that I have tasted were considerably younger than
this 50 year old Ruffino Riserva Ducale Chianti 1955. In old age most of
them had become very dry, astringent, and had lost nearly all fruit.
Thus I was expecting to have to pour this 50 year old wine down the
sink.

The fill was just barely below the neck. The cork appeared sound and did
not show any signs of leakage. The cork crumbled and nearly seemed
cemented to the inside of the neck, so it took nearly 15 minutes to mine
the cork out without getting cork crumbs in the wine. I nearly had to
start a charcoal grill to heat port tongs to use on the bottle.

The bottle had a bit of initial BO when opened as often happens in old
wines, but this soon was gone. The color still was rather deep with some
scarlet showing through but of brick color around the rim. There still
was some typical fruit, although not as intense as in a good younger
wine. The wine was rather smooth and round rather than the expected
astringent. Some wood, stem character, and alcohol are beginning to show
through. There was a hint of tawny port without the sweetness. Of course
this wine peaked a few decades ago and is now in decline, but I am quite
amazed that it still shows as well as it does. I have heard of some old
Biondi-Santi Brunello holding for 50 years and more, but not most other
Italian wines.

Reply to .

"Cwdjrx _" > wrote in message
...
> Most older Chiantis that I have tasted were considerably younger than
> this 50 year old Ruffino Riserva Ducale Chianti 1955. In old age most of
> them had become very dry, astringent, and had lost nearly all fruit.
> Thus I was expecting to have to pour this 50 year old wine down the
> sink.
>
> The fill was just barely below the neck. The cork appeared sound and did
> not show any signs of leakage. The cork crumbled and nearly seemed
> cemented to the inside of the neck, so it took nearly 15 minutes to mine
> the cork out without getting cork crumbs in the wine. I nearly had to
> start a charcoal grill to heat port tongs to use on the bottle.
>
> The bottle had a bit of initial BO when opened as often happens in old
> wines, but this soon was gone. The color still was rather deep with some
> scarlet showing through but of brick color around the rim. There still
> was some typical fruit, although not as intense as in a good younger
> wine. The wine was rather smooth and round rather than the expected
> astringent. Some wood, stem character, and alcohol are beginning to show
> through. There was a hint of tawny port without the sweetness. Of course
> this wine peaked a few decades ago and is now in decline, but I am quite
> amazed that it still shows as well as it does.

Nice to hear that you didn't have to dump it! I really love Italian reds.
Wish I'd tasted it. I was just beginning 4th grade when those grapes were
harvested.

Tom S

(Cwdjrx _) wrote:

> The bottle had a bit of initial BO when opened
^^

Pardon my ignorance, but wozzat?

M.

Michael Pronay wrote: (Cwdjrx _) wrote:
The bottle had a bit of initial BO when opened
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A 0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A 0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=
=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A0=A 0=A0
Pardon my ignorance, but wozzat?
M."

BO is slang for "body odor" or perhaps in this case "bottle odor". It
might be applied to a person, or perhaps a dog, who has not had a bath
in a few days. Anyway, it is a smell that most do not like. Many very
old wines do not smell very good when you first pull the cork and
rapidly sniff at the open neck of the botle, but this smell often soon
blows away unless the wine has a serious fault such as being corked,
badly oxidized, etc.

Reply to .

(Cwdjrx _) wrote:

> BO is slang for "body odor" or perhaps in this case "bottle
> odor".

I see, thank you. I have known this effect undder the name of
"bottle stench".

M.