A guide to what's ready for drinking in 2006
By popular request I'm reprising this topic after a two-year break. Many of you, I know, have wine collections in your own cellars or, more often nowadays, kept with specialists in wine storage. Yet it can be time- and wine-consuming to conduct your own research into which of those bottles is ready to drink. Allow me to report on the researches I have selflessly conducted on your behalf. I do the drinking so you don't have to, so to speak.
In my experience, and contrary to most people's perceptions, more wine is drunk too late than too soon. And too many owners of superior bottles hang around far too long waiting for palates and occasions worthy of them. This seems a shame to me, not least because we are mortal and wine is even more so. Many a mature "fine wine" costs little more when it was originally bought than some everyday wines cost today. Besides, wine is made to be shared not hoarded. Popping a few corks provides an excuse to buy some younger vintages and introducing more of your friends and family to the complex pleasures of bottle-aged wine may just enlarge your circle of fellow wine enthusiasts.
Red bordeaux seems to comprise by far the majority of the wine held by FT readers so please forgive me if I concentrate on this popular commodity (and let me know if you would like another similar article on wines other than bordeaux). In very general terms, I would drink the better wines of the 10 last vintages of red bordeaux in the following order: 1997, 1999, 2001, 1995, 1996, 1998, 2002, 2003, 2000, 2004. (I shall report on the infant 2005s in April.)
The 1997s virtually all need drinking now. With the exception of the likes of La Mission and Léoville Las Cases, few have anything to gain and are arguably quite subtle and meek enough already. Favourites for current drinking include Canon, Smith Haut Lafitte and Pichon Baron.
In 1995 some tannins are pretty obtrusive now but taste more as though this was because they never ripened fully than because the wines necessarily have a glorious future ahead. Pomerol seems to have been more successful than St-Emilion, with Certan de May and Vieux Chateau Certan being particularly suitable for drinking now. Margaux and Graves have few stars other than the first growths but, in the northern Médoc, Cos d'Estournel, Beychevelle, Lynch Bages, Gruaud Larose, Grand Puy Lacoste, Haut Batailley and both Pichons shine particularly brightly, although I could recommend drinking only the first three of these at this stage. Among first growths and their equivalent, only La Mission, Ausone and Cheval Blanc seem ready to start drinking.
The 1999s, never particularly concentrated, seem to be maturing into very pleasant drinking, if that praise is not too damning. Issan and some other wines made in Margaux have matured relatively fast and prettily.
Such 1996s as have come my way recently have been very impressive but still backward, much more so than the 1995s. The superstars of the Médoc should be kept many years yet.
The 1998s tend to be a bit chewy still and where successful, on the right bank notably, are built to last. They should eventually be rather magnificent. I look forward to, and will report on, a comprehensive blind tasting of the better St Emilions and Pomerols next month.
As for vintages made this millennium, I'd recommend opening only lesser examples - though anyone with a shortage of red bordeaux for drinking next decade should consider buying 2001s, 2004s and the better 2002s while prices are still relatively modest.
All of which leaves vintages prior to 1995 as the best candidates for current drinking. This effectively means 1990 and older. Anything made in the lean period of 1991, 1992, 1993 and 1994 should be rushed out of the cellar immediately - although they are not all disasters. In my experience right bank 1993s and left bank 1994s have been the safest bets.
Although I have had enormous and unusually consistent pleasure from virtually every 1990 bordeaux I have ever tasted, a few carrying even quite smart labels are showing every sign of having reached their peak. The first growths and equivalent are sailing along gloriously but I would be opening most of the other wines now.
For some time 1989 was paired with 1990 since both were considered unusually hot, early vintages (until 2003 came along) but, in my experience, their different styles are becoming increasingly apparent with age. The 1989s are much more structured and less opulent but may prove longer-lived. It varies from chateau to chateau of course but on the right bank at least the earlier vintage has the edge in many cases while Montrose and Haut Brion are also particularly glorious.
The 1988 and 1987 vintages could hardly be more different, respectively muscular and rather a wimp. The 1987s should ideally have been drunk already while the 1988s are great drinking now, although even the best are unlikely to hit the heights of the best 1989s and 1990s.
As for the 1986s, they were tough as old boots for many a long year with virtually only Gruaud Larose to persuade us that the vintage will eventually pour forth pleasure but I'm sure that one of these days the best examples will prove just what red bordeaux is good at: unparalleled elegance in the long run.
The 1985 vintage was famous for the opposite: charm right from the start. But signs are that its Achilles heel, less-than-complete ripening, is showing through at last now that the fruit is fading, leaving some grassy notes and increasingly obvious acidity.
So my suggested order of drinking vintages from the mid 1980s to the mid 1990s would be 1987, 1992, 1991, 1993, 1994 immediately if you still own bottles from any of these weaker vintages and then 1985, 1990, 1988, 1989 and finally 1986. As for how these two lists of vintages interrelate, I'd suggest 1985, 1990, 1988 and 1997 are all best for current drinking, along with 1983s (drink these up) and 1982s even if they are now worth so much that you feel no one could possibly be worth pulling a 1982-branded cork for. Even that perennial favourite Pichon Lalande 1982 now seems to be past its best.
Obviously individual producers' performance and styles of wine vary considerably with each vintage. The very finest 1989s and 1990s will be superstars in the firmament of wine and will be well worth hanging on to for a while yet. All I have had room for here unfortunately is to sketch broad generalities for typical wines of classed growth but not first growth stature. The most ambitious and concentrated examples from each vintage will be slower to mature than I have suggested here while the weakest, or most exaggerated and least well-balanced, examples usually mature faster than average. Thanks to the infinite elasticity of cyberspace, I have been able to publish detailed tasting notes, ratings and suggested drinking dates on thousands of individual wines onthe purple pages of my website
今朝有酒
应大众的要求，我准备在中断两年后重谈这个话题。我知道，你们当中有许多人在自家酒窖里收藏葡萄酒，如今更多人把葡萄酒放在储藏库里让专家保存。然而，如果自己研究哪些酒到了品尝时机，则既耗时也耗酒。就让我来汇报研究成果吧，这是我无私地代您所做的研究。也就是说，我来喝，您就不必喝了。
从我的经验来看，葡萄酒品尝时机过迟的多，过早的少，这一观点与大多数人的观点相反。太多的高级葡萄酒主人犹豫太久，非要等到配得上这些极品的胃口和时机才去品尝。这让我感到惋惜。人生短暂，美酒亦然。许多酿熟的“美酒”当初购买时的价格，不比今天日常饮用的葡萄酒贵多少。而且，葡萄酒是用来分享，而不是储藏的。打开几瓶之后，你就有理由再去买年头较短的佳酿，让更多的亲朋好友体验陈年美酒，享受回味无穷的快感，扩大你的葡萄酒爱好者朋友圈。
《金融时报》的读者收藏最多的似乎是波尔多红葡萄酒（bordeaux），所以如果我一味在谈这种很受欢迎的产品，敬请原谅(如果您想看一篇非波尔多红葡萄酒的类似文章，请不吝告知)。大体说来，我会品尝最新酿造的10年种上品波尔多红酒，并按照以下顺序品尝：1997、1999、2001、1995、1996、1998、2002、2003、2000、2004。(有关2005新酿的报告我将在4月份推出)。
1997年的酒实际上现在都该喝了。除了像米西翁(La Mission)和勒维埃拉斯格斯酒庄(Léoville Las Cases)产的酒，其它酒的口味几乎不会再有任何改进，按理说它们的口感已经足够精致顺滑。目前的佳品包括卡农酒庄(Canon)、拉菲特高地史密斯酒庄(Smith Haut Lafitte)和碧尚巴雄酒庄(Pichon Baron)的红酒。
1995年酒里的一些丹宁酸现在还令人相当不适，其原因倒不像是品尝时机未到，日后才会进入佳境，而更像是没有完全发酵成熟。宝物隆(Pomerol)葡萄酒似乎比圣达美隆(St-Emilion)葡萄酒更成功，雪坦?杜梅堡(Certan de May)和威登庄园(Vieux Chateau Certan)的酒特别适合现在饮用。除了一等酒庄的酒外，玛哥(Margaux)和格拉夫(Graves)的明星葡萄酒很少，但在北面的美度(Médoc)、爱士图尔(Cos d'Estournel)、龙船庄(Beychevelle)、靓次伯(Lynch Bages)、拉露斯(Gruaud Larose)、拉高斯(Grand Puy Lacoste)、欧贝特利(Haut Batailley)和两种碧尚(Pichon)都特别出色，尽管在目前阶段，我只会推荐饮用前三种。在一等酒庄及同等品质的葡萄酒中，只有米西翁、欧颂庄(Ausone)和白马(Cheval Blanc)似乎可以马上开始饮用。
1999年的酒从未经过特别浓缩，但却都逐渐成为可口的佳酿，但愿这一欲扬先抑的评价不会抑有余，而扬不足。玛哥(Margaux)产的伊桑(Issan)和其它几种葡萄酒成熟相对较快，口感也很好。
我最近享用的1996年葡萄酒很不错，但仍欠火候，比1995年的酒差了许多。美度（Médoc）的超级佳酿还应该再等几年。
1998年的酒一般仍有些涩口，在那些很成功的产地，尤其是右岸地区，这种酒会长盛不衰。这些酒最终应会相当可口。下月完全盲品时，我期待更出色的圣达美隆和宝物隆，也会就此进行报道。
至于本世纪酿造的葡萄酒，我建议只开较次的。但在今后10年，波尔多红葡萄酒不够的人都应当考虑购买2001年、2004年以及2002年中的上品红酒，它们的价格都还相对适中。
逐个数过来之后，我们发现1995年之前的葡萄酒成了目前品尝的最佳选择。其实是指1990年及更早的葡萄酒。在歉收的1991、1992、1993及1994年酿造的葡萄酒，应当立即撤出酒窖，尽管它们并非全都不堪入口。以我的经验来看，1993的波尔多右岸葡萄酒与1994年的左岸葡萄酒品质最为可靠。
我品尝过的每瓶1990年波尔多葡萄酒，都给我带来了巨大的愉悦，几乎屡试不爽，不过有几种牌子相当雅致的酒，已经显出了登峰造极后的颓势。一级酒品以及品质相当的其它酒类还会大出风头，但我宁可去开其它葡萄酒了。
有一段时间，人们把1989年与1990年的酒相提并论，因为人们认为这两个年份的产品是特别辛辣的早期葡萄酒(直到2003年的酒品上市)，但以我的经验来看，随着时间的推移，它们不同的风味正变得越来越明显。1989年的葡萄酒入口味均衡完整，其口感的饱满程度略嫌不足，但可能会更为持久。当然，每个酒庄的酒都不一样，但至少右岸的早期葡萄酒在许多时候有优势，而蒙赫斯酒庄(Montrose)和红颜容庄(Haut Brion)的酒也尤其出色。
几乎再也没有比1988年与1987年的葡萄酒差别更大的了，1988年的酒口感粗犷，而1987年的则相当绵软。1987年的酒最好已经喝完了，而1988年葡萄酒则正是眼下饮用佳品，不过即便其中的极品也不可能媲美1989年和1990年的极品。
至于1986的葡萄酒，它们很冲，劲头十足，能保持多年，几乎只有拉露斯红葡萄酒能让我们信服，这种酒最终会带给我们无尽的快乐。但我确信，最好的葡萄酒迟早会验证波尔多红葡萄酒的长项：无与伦比、经久不衰的品质。
1985红葡萄酒则以相反的特点而出名：它们从一开始就令人陶醉。但目前的迹象表明，这些酒的致命缺点是不完全成熟，因为葡萄已经进入衰期，所以会留下一些像草一样的气味，以及越来越明显的酸味。
所以，从80年代中期到90年代中期的葡萄酒，我推荐的品尝顺序是：1987、1992、1991、1993、1994，如果你还有这些口味较弱的葡萄酒，那么马上喝掉吧。然后再喝1985、1990、1988、1989，最后是1986。至于这两份葡萄酒单如何相互联系起来，我认为1985、1990、1988和1997都是现在品尝的最佳选择，连同1983(把这些都喝光)和1982的葡萄酒。它们现在非常值钱，你会觉得可能没人能配得上开一瓶1982年的葡萄酒，不过就连长期受人欢迎的1982年碧尚拉龙(Pichon Lalande)，现在似乎也错过最佳饮用期了。
显然，对于每种酒，单个酿酒商的水平和风格差异相当大。最好的1989和1990系列将成为葡萄酒界的超级佳酿，值得再珍藏一段时间。不幸的是，我在这里的版面，只能草草勾勒出分级酒庄的典型葡萄酒的大概情况，还没涉及到一等酒庄的高度。每种葡萄酒中，都会有些口味最重和最浓缩的产品，它们的成熟时间会比我在这里建议的要慢；而口味最淡，或者说最夸张、口感最不平衡的产品，则往往比平均时间成熟更快。多亏网络空间的无限弹性，让我能够在自己网站紫色的网页上发表上千种葡萄酒详细的品酒报告、评级和建议的饮用时间。
