1999, San Giusto a Rentennano, "Percarlo"

Okay, I wish I could tell you anything good about this wine, as I really like Percarlo.

Percarlo tends to be absolutely brilliant when it’s released and then go into a big sleeping phase. Of course this is not only common for Percarlo, but a phenomenon known to happen to almost all great wines. Based on my previous Percarlo experiences, there will be an almost 100% guarantee, that this will happen and it will hit the wine really hard. The real challenge for Percarlo is however; how this phase will actually transform the wine. My experience tells me, that Percarlo naturally looses some fresh fruit “baby fat” when its starts to get some age to it. This is necessarily not a bad thing, but unfortunately the baby fat often contains lush ripe red cherry fruit, which over time is replace with black cherries and spices. That’s exactly how the 1999 felt like and I might have caught it at the wrong day/time, but my God it was boring. Never did it do anything that the monotone black cherry dance, with some thyme notes to it. The taste is even worse, strong, heavy and not particular inspirational.
I think I have a bottle or two left of this 1999, plus a six pack of the 2001 & 2004 and I suddenly feel concerned.

Even if it’s comparing apples vs bananas, I can’t help think of my Friday Champagne (Selosse, V.O.) and this glass of wine. The Champagne was an ongoing delightful drinking pleasure, where you couldn’t wait to get the next fill. This felt like being in fourth division, just waiting to get over with it.

I am beginning to wonder, if I care to drink anything but Champagne.


Tested in 3 different glasses: Zalto Bordeaux, Riedel Sommeliers Bordeaux Grand Cru and Antinori Sangiovese. This small test will be included in the material for “The ultimate glass test”