2001 wines at 20 years of age...

I’ve lined-up a good number of 2001 wines for drinking in the coming year. For ageworthy wines, my preconception is that 2001 has lots of interest and so their twentieth year is a reasonable time to check-in. I’ve got high hopes for red Burgundies at this stage - a bottle of Meo’s Clos Vougeot 2001 was spectacularly open and delicious a couple of years ago, others have been less amazing but certainly promising. It was a very good year in Piedmont, though my preconceptions are that more time will be needed - I’ll open a few to see. Otherwise I’m expecting good drinking from N Rhone, Tuscany, California.

This got off to a really bad start...

G. Mascarello, Barolo Santo Stefano Di Perno 2001
Corked. Such a shame, as the previous bottle in Dec 2019 was glorious, open, in early maturity and a contender for WOTY.

...but got better.
Brovia, Barolo Villero 2001
Translucent colour, as much brown as orange, bright. Gorgeous nose, detailed and complex, harmonious, lovely. Dried herbs, underbrush and peppery spice, typical orange peel, smoky, red fruit, black fruit, a heady white blossom perfume emerges. Palate has raspberry red fruit and good raspberry vinegar acid cut. The texture is almost silky, as the tannins are almost, but not quite, fully integrated. Creamy aspect to the texture. Very long, all very delicious. Certainly in a drinkable place, early maturity even in the sense that the tannins are resolving. What haven’t arrived yet are the secondary evolution smells, so another 5-10 years before any more of these here.

Any more thoughts or notes on 2001 in its 20th year?
 
There have been some ravishing (and deeply characterful in a way that the preceding vintage tends not to be)red burgundies, though it seems to me that it is only the grandest that have much left in the way of positive evolution. It was a difficult vintage to put it mildly in much of the Cote De Beaune though Lafarge has been stupendous in the circumstances.
I remember when Jasper's book came out I was taken aback by his lack of enthusiasm for 01 but I do now see where he was coming from.
 
As my wedding year, I do have a few 2001s in the cupboard and will take pleasure in following and contributing in this thread where I can.

As someone who skipped the formal part of the whole getting-married process, it occurs to me that an unusually attractive vintage, coupled with a paucity of other excuses to expand my wine buying, could be a useful trigger for a quick ceremony. I shall keep my options open in case of need.
 
One of my favourite ever red bdx was Pavie Macquin 2001. I had my last bottle (I only bought 3) on holiday in France in summer 2018. I reckon it would be superb in 2021.

The other 2001 I am familiar with and fond of and tasted delicious with roast lamb in Easter 2020 was Rioja Alta GR 904. I’ll be giving one of them a go in Easter 2021.
 
Ive a smattering of bottles from different regions, Rioja features quite heavily as that was probably the 1st vintage I started buying, I drank a couple of bottles of the LRA 904 last year and they were brilliant and I think there’s a bit more to come.
I do have a little burgundy from 2001 and while Fourrier and Roulot sounds great, I believe both had problems with closures so my success rate hasn’t been good so far
It will be fun tracking these over the course of the year, I may even start this evening now I’ve started looking
 
As someone who skipped the formal part of the whole getting-married process, it occurs to me that an unusually attractive vintage, coupled with a paucity of other excuses to expand my wine buying, could be a useful trigger for a quick ceremony. I shall keep my options open in case of need.
Have you just invited the whole Forum, Dr B, while knowing they can't accept?
 
Have you just invited the whole Forum, Dr B, while knowing they can't accept?

It's an idea with more than a little genius to it. "We regret you will be unable to attend our ceremony, but please accept our virtual invite, and note that the list of acceptable wine gifts is available via this link...."

But should I use up this opportunity - one that might only come to me a few more times in my life - on the 2021 vintage? It seems a gamble, although perhaps those on the ground in Burgundy can tell me if they feel the sap is rising encouragingly.
 
It's an idea with more than a little genius to it. "We regret you will be unable to attend our ceremony, but please accept our virtual invite, and note that the list of acceptable wine gifts is available via this link...."

But should I use up this opportunity - one that might only come to me a few more times in my life - on the 2021 vintage? It seems a gamble, although perhaps those on the ground in Burgundy can tell me if they feel the sap is rising encouragingly.
Not sure talking about your sapling is entirely decent, Doctor.
 
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