A couple of weeks ago I opened a bottle of Ca' del Baio Barbaresco Asili 2006. When I had my first sip I found the wine very dry, no fruit, in a word, disappointing. My initial thought was to let it open for an hour and go back to it after it had some time to breathe. I work in the business and because of that I understand that some wines need a little time before they really show their personality and the grape in Barbaresco (Nebbiolo) is notorious for being very tannic and needing that time. After I waited more than an hour, I went back to it expecting it to be much better but it wasn't in fact it hadn't changed at all. I was very upset, this is not an inexpensive wine and I felt even though some of my co-workers said that they really liked the wine it just wasn't a very good one. That was Sunday.
Jump forward two days to Tuesday and I see at that stupid bottle staring back at me from the counter in the kitchen and I am reminded what a disappointment it is, reluctantly I went back to it for the third time (go ahead dummy try it, get let down again) I can't say that I was expecting much but how can I just throw a $50 bottle of wine down the drain? To my amazement it had finally opened up. It was beautiful, the fruit was showing, it was in balance, all of the pieces seemed to have fallen in place and this was an exceptional bottle! The experience showed me something, I didn't hold out any hope for that bottle and for all of my doubt I was rewarded with a brilliant wine after 3 days. Some wines need time, they really need to be in the cellar and given a chance to develope before you try to drink them. This wine in particular needs at least 5 years before it should be drunk but patience will be rewarded. The great wines are meant to be aged and if you open them before their time you are not going to enjoy them and you are not getting the most for your money. So, the next time you open an expensive bottle of wine and think it just isn't that good, give it some time and see if it doesn't just need some time to breathe so that it can come into its own. You might just be surprised.
-Christelle
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