Washington Bierzo

I see we all agree on the prematureness of drinking Paixar now (I only sampled it in January!). P3 was most approachable in February. The problem is I don’t recall ever having had a ";great"; bottle of Cepas Viejas. The first bottlings had an immediate charm that faded just as easily. I ignore if they recovered after a dumb phase, but at the time I was sure (ie ’sure’) that they were fading.
Now the winery has kicked the quality level a good two notches with P3 but the QPR of Cepas Viejas is still outstanding. That’s something I found in Palacios’s first couple of generic Bierzos. In fact--in my memory--they were pretty similar.
The new Corullón I just don’t get... (?)

About the 2002 vintage I just returned (literally) from Madrid where many 2002s were presented. No Bierzos (no sherry either) but a handful of great (ie GREAT) wines.
Most 2002s seem far more approachable than most vintages (Leda, Mogador, Martinet) but in some cases this is perceived as a weakness (Dofí). I’m not a keeper, so I must say that the approachability of some wines was no fault to me as long as it didn’t come with green notes or unbalanced alcohol, but some 2002s were superb: Termanthia, Pintia, Leda (textbook beast so far), Finca Terrerazo, Malleolus de Valderramiro, Hiru, Pujanza Norte... Of course some faded in the comparison vs their own 2001 (notably, at this moment at least, El Pisón) while others seem to have benefited (Pintia was ready to drink TODAY though it won’t be released un til March or so, Finca Terrerazo had a truly Gorgeous perfume, etc).
So maybe a bad vintage is a good thing every now and then, so that vintners remember that the oak recipe can--and often should--be corrected downwards...

Well, now I am confused! Had the first bottle in May and loved it. Drink up the other two quick or leave for a year? Two? Five?

Well, I do not exactly know.... when a wine enters a ";silent"; phase it can be ";unexpresive"; for years!!! However I’ll give it a chance in one year year to see its evolution.....

Other opinions?

I don’t recall ever having had a ";great"; bottle of Cepas Viejas.

Well, I do!!! However I must insist that Cepas Viejas lacks the complexity of its upper level ";brothers";.

So you think CV has the capability to come back from its ";silent phase";? Or is it just a wine for drinking young?

I strongly believe that he will ";strike back";, with the excellent raw materials used (mencia from old vines), the good oenology procedures used and the slight touch of wood I’d be very very disappointed if this wine is already dead... I insist, I’ll try again in a year.