I was doing some cellar reorganization and found a 2012 E. Giugal Cotes Du Rhone that i had completely forgotten about. Obviously its 3-4 years outside the end of its conventional window. And that year was hit or miss on aging. Part of me wants to just open it and try, part of me wants to save it for a meal that would pair well on the slight chance that it has turned into something special.
I also have a 2015 Le Ragose amarone Della Valpolicella that I had planned on having for my 35th birthday dinner this week. 2015 was one of the best in recent memory for Amarone, and amarone is one of my favorite wines, but its at the front of its drinking window. The risk I take if I swap it for the Giugal is that I found the bottle while on vacation a couple weeks ago. I flew home with it during a heat wave. I kept it insulated and cool but there is a risk that I shortened its lifespan.
If I open the Cotes Du Rhone and its gone then no big deal I switch to the Amarone. But if the Giugal is amazing and I put the Amarone back in the cellar it could come back to bite me and have a fault. So Im leaving it up to you. Wine People of Reddit, what would you do?
Points of clarification: both have been stored horizontally at generally correct temperatures other than the travel I mentioned. I also have a Durand for opening aged bottles. I will be drinking the bottle myself. I live in my wife's hometown, I have some great friends but they are scattered around the country, not local. My wife would normally join me but she is Pregnant, and cannot enjoy either bottle with me. I celebrated With my dad and several great bottles of Bordeaux on the same trip where he bought me the Le Ragose as a birthday present.
by Hairy-Mail5802
10 Comments
I say open it, it’s not gonna poison you. I don’t think you’ve shortened the lifespan.
It’ll be fine!
I have a sneaking suspicion that it’s going to slap. Pop it.
I bought six of those exact same wine (2012 CdR Guigal, well stored) in December 2024 and finished the last one two weeks ago.
One was corked (no big deal) but the others were all beautiful. Silky smooth. I didn’t take notes but they were all really very, very good (apart from the corked one).
A producer like Guigal will typically exceed the average window of ageability. Paired with lamb, pork, cured meats, kombu broth/tonkatsu ramen, sour cherry gastrique or other preserved or dried fruit sauces and it will sing.
I was at a vertical tasting of Giugal CdR from 1990-2010 a few years ago, the wines do age remarkably well. The 2012 will be delightful
Well being just a CdR I wouldn’t want to let it go that long, however, this is a top tier producer. So long as it was stored properly, it should still be good.
Was 2012 a decent vintage? (I’m too lazy to look it up)
LOL. A 2012 CDR is still a baby. It’s probably got another decade in it.
Small technicality (apologies if sounding pedantic): 2015 may have been one of the best in recent memory for “Valpolicella”, not “Amerone” – the latter just means ‘great bitter’; Valpolicella is the appellation.
I would lump it on the Guigal as I would be shocked if it didn’t show beautifully now. Even a producer as monolithic as Guigal will be able to retain core winemaking quality to get the best out of the fruit even a little past the drinking window. Your back-up doesn’t have to be the amerone if you don’t want, but I doubt the back-up would be needed. But if an insurance policy puts you at ease then I’m sure you can find something that won’t eat into the wallet too much/you already own!
Côtes du Rhône from good producers often age really well. Buy a bunch in a good year, leave it at the back of your cellar and fuhgedaboudit. It will be a pleasant surprise when you discover them 10+ years down the road.
I would expect this to be fucking awesome tbh. The few bottles of this i have had recently are miles ahead of the pack in similar price points. Probably drinks 2-3x its price and assume that comes with some additional aging potential.
Assume youve had before and this is a leftover?