Given a friend's penchant for handing over a case of wine from the 50th birthday boy or girl's birth year, and given that my half century is fast approaching, I'm urgently seeking a new vintage despite mine being 'one of the 20th century's finest'.

I may have been born in the year of 'a monumental vintage of legendary proportions needing no introduction'; it's just that the range of wines reaching epic proportions from that vintage is rather restricted. According to some literature, these great wines are 'ready to drink now with some wines only just beginning to show full maturity. The best will last for many decades still. Power, dimension and real character, are all hallmarks of this most memorable vintage. Even after 40 years, the best never fail to impress with their essential three components of fruit, tannin and elegance. Almost always appear to be younger than they really are.'

Yup, I'm a vintage port year against which all others are judged - ports, that is - because (according to Michael Broadbent) red wines from the same year from Bordeaux are 'poor and thin', Sauternes had an 'abysmal vintage', red Burgundy 'poor to fair', white Burgundy only 'better', Italy, Rhône and Loire don't even rate a mention, and Germany would be 'of little interest'. The only old world country that seems to offer me an alternative to port is Spain, but then only wines from the Penedès, not those from Rioja which has great vintages on either side.

So which should it be?

A few weeks ago, I attended a wonderful if short tasting of Piedmont wines. There were three vintages of Ceretto Barolo Bricco Rocche and three of Ceretto Barbaresco Bricco Asili. Bricco Rocche and Bricco Asili are both single vineyards. The Barbaresco vineyard was acquired by Bruno and Marcello Ceretto in 1969 and measures just 1.3 hectares while the Barolo site is 1.2 hectares and was added to the family portfolio in 1978. As you know, both vineyards are planted to nebbiolo and the winemaking is very similar, the major difference being the time in oak (18 months 60% new for the Barbaresco, 24 to 28 months 50% new for the Barolo).

We tasted Bricco Asili from the 1999, 1988 and 1980 vintage and Bricco Rocche from 2001, 1996 and 1989. The first three wines were lovely, showing similarity despite representing 19 years of wine making. Key characteristics of the wine for me were a metallic palate, cranberry fruit and stern tannins. The three Barolos were floral, intense without being over-extracted, and with pinpoint balance between tannin and acidity. 1989 almost defied description - sometimes a wine is so complete that it does; all I could muster when I tasted it was Rodin's The Thinker.

My favourite of the line-up was the 1996 Barolo Bricco Rocche. It was exceeding complex, continually unveiling new fruit, floral, animal and mineral aromas and flavours in the glass; was rich but refreshed by brisk acidity; had athletic tannins and an endless finish.

1996 in Bordeaux was a classic claret year, a 4-star white Bordeaux, Germany and Rioja vintage, stunning in Sauternes, great for white Burgundies, and highly successful in the Loire.  It wasn't impressive in the Rhône or for red Burgundies, but it still has potential as my new birth year. Any other suggestions?