Very old wines advice!!!

I just received from my Dad (he got a brain stroke, can´t drink alcohol anymore) an aparently impressive collection of wines. I know a thing or two about wines, but I will love your opinion about when to open (or if it´s too late!) this bottles. They have been properly stored (between 10 and 14 degrees C cellar), but involved twice in home movings...

Barolo Vecchio antichi poderi "le rivette" (marchese viladoria) 1961
Cecchi Chianti 1995 (Luigi Cecchi e filli)
Cecchi Chianti 1996 (Luigi Cecchi e filli)
Fratelli Bellini Chianti 1995
Gianini Chianti 1982 (Adolfo Gianini)
Gonfalone Chianti 1987 (Chianti Trambusti)
Flli Corsi fu Francesco Chianti 1987
Grifoni Chianti 1975
Bolla Bardolino 1990
Louis de Camponac Bordeaux 1988
Viña Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva 1984
Viña Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva 1973
CampoViejo Rioja Gran Reserva 1981
Robert mondavi Private Selection C. Sauvignon 2000
Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Especial C. Sauvignon 1987
Concha y Toro Santa Emiliana C. Sauvignon 1981
Concha y Toro Marqués de Casa Concha Gran Vino C. Sauvignon 1973

Thanks a lot for your help,
regards,

Pablo Cozzaglio

Generally all these wines are either ready or too old. I will try to comment more on each wine.

Barolo Vecchio antichi poderi "le rivette" (marchese viladoria) 1961
I have consumed several '61 Barolos. They have mostly been good. it was a warm vintage which produced a lot of fruit that seems to have been preserved well. But Villadora is not a good producer. Hope for the best.

Cecchi Chianti 1995 (Luigi Cecchi e filli)
Cecchi Chianti 1996 (Luigi Cecchi e filli)
Fratelli Bellini Chianti 1995
Probably drinkable everyday-wines. But no reason to hold longer. Are you sure there is not riserva stated anywhere?? If so they will last longer.

Gianini Chianti 1982 (Adolfo Gianini)
Gonfalone Chianti 1987 (Chianti Trambusti)
Flli Corsi fu Francesco Chianti 1987
Grifoni Chianti 1975
These are probably over the top, but could still show interest. If there is any riserva-designation here, there is a greater chance. But I have had modest Chiantis from the 70's that provided pleasure.

Bolla Bardolino 1990
This should have been consumed young. Too old.

Louis de Camponac Bordeaux 1988
Drink up, but will probably provide pleasure.

Viña Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva 1984
Viña Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva 1973
CampoViejo Rioja Gran Reserva 1981
Vina Tondonia can age a very long time. Also the Campo Viejo would stand this aging. They can even take longer age, but they are ready to drink.

Robert mondavi Private Selection C. Sauvignon 2000
Concha y Toro Casillero del Diablo Reserva Especial C. Sauvignon 1987
Concha y Toro Santa Emiliana C. Sauvignon 1981
Concha y Toro Marqués de Casa Concha Gran Vino C. Sauvignon 1973
Can't really comment on these, but I see no reason to wait with the chileans.

Hope for the best, you will probably have a fun time opening all these bottles. And probably some surprises. Please write TN's here if you have the time as I would be interested to hear how they were.

arnt egil

Arnt Egil did a much better job than I could and his recs are probably right on. Only thing I would add is the Mondavi Reserve is from a vintage that is not fruit driven, probably got a lower score than the '01 by reviewers, but to my taste quite nice and should be in no hurry to drink it.
Walt

I just received from my Dad (he got a brain stroke, can´t drink alcohol anymore) an aparently impressive collection of wines. I know a thing or two about wines, but I will love your opinion about when to open (or if it´s too late!) this bottles. They have been properly stored (between 10 and 14 degrees C cellar), but involved twice in home movings...

Barolo Vecchio antichi poderi "le rivette" (marchese viladoria) 1961

I don't know the producer, but '61 was a fantastic year for Barolo and it is normally long-lived. This will probably be tired (as the top wines are still great, but many others a fading) but it might have just enough life left to enjoy. I suggest paring it with a very simple meal of pasta and shaved truffles or truffle oil/butter.

Viña Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva 1984
Viña Tondonia Rioja Gran Reserva 1973
CampoViejo Rioja Gran Reserva 1981

The 73 Tondonia rocks, you will be a very happy man. I didn't realize RLdH made a Gran Reserva in '84 (?) but if they did it should be very nice since they've only made Tondonia Gran Reserva 22 times in the last 100 years. Campo Viejo currently makes some of the poorest wines in Rioja (to be exported), but the wines were much better before 1990.

Best,
Joe

p.s. sorry about your father, he seems like a kindred spirit.

[Jenise]

Walt, Pablo used the term "private selection" on that Mondavi, which might be one of the $10 coastal offerings and not the top-of-the-line reserve you're thinking of.

Pablo, if I'm right, that wine wasn't made for aging, drink up. If Walt's right, then...well, Walt's right!

Walt, Pablo used the term "private selection" on that Mondavi, which might be one of the $10 coastal offerings and not the top-of-the-line reserve you're thinking of.

Pablo, if I'm right, that wine wasn't made for aging, drink up. If Walt's right, then...well, Walt's right!

Jenise,
You are correct. I just made the quick assumption that in a cellar of somewhat noteable wines you would find the Mondavi to be PR
Walt

Joe, my Dad is a very special man indeed, and he´s slowly recovering, thank you. But definitely can´t drink anymore... I´m not a connaisseur like you guys, but he gave me a bottle every year on my birthday (since I was 1!!), different kinds of wine for me to open in different moments of my life... I have a couple of bottles left (i´m near 30 now) and I can tell you, I learned a lot about patience and life (not only about wines!) with that process...
Now I´m very very happy, because you guys told me that many of these bottles are ready to drink... I hope i´ll have a bottle for new year 2007!!!
By the way, believe it or not, Ecuador is a very very intresting country for sommeliers. Why?? There are many long tradition (kind of noble) spaniard families, and many of them are broke or their new generation is not interested in wine at all. These familes used to import amazing wines from Europe, and have special cellars for it... Last year, I got a case of La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 1985 for USD 50... The guy was empting the cellar for building a dance room... With more patience and time (Which I don´t have) amazing deals and treasures can be found.
So, if anytime coming to this latitude (0) send me an email, I will really enjoy drinking a fine bottle (or probably finding one!) with connaisseurs like you guys. Thanks a lot!!!
Regards,
Pablo Cozzaglio

No problem, Pablo!

Last year, I got a case of La Rioja Alta Gran Reserva 890 1985 for USD 50...

$50 for the whole case? I've paid almost three times that much for a single bottle!

$50 for the whole case? I've paid almost three times that much for a single bottle![/quote]

Yeah, for the case. And I paid the price he asked, I felt terrible negociating... The kind of deals you can find here... There is people who also thinks that a 1968 cheap Chianti that was lying up on their dining room (under the sun) cost 100. Wine culture is almost nonexistant now, but was a trademark of "upper class" society a generation ago.