Whether you are stocking a wine cellar for bottle-aging wine or just shopping the “old and rare” section of your favorite wine shop, there are a few things you should know:
- How does wine change over time?
- What types of wines age well?
- Roughly how long will they continue to improve or hold?
Of course, every individual bottling is unique. Varietal blend, terroir, winemaking techniques and vintage make a huge difference in the capacity to age. Storage and handling of the bottle at the winery, your home and in between have a big impact too. And wine doesn’t age in a linear fashion. There are quiet periods, times of rapid development and plateaus of consistency. Nonetheless, general guidelines are useful when planning a cellar.
First, let’s clarify what “aging” or “maturing” means with respect to wine. Every wine left undrunk will get older. Only a small percentage of those wines will age or mature in a positive way. Wines that age well tend to be well-balanced overall but have high levels of at least two of the following: phenolics (such as tannins), acidity and sugar. To aficionados, age-worthy wines are better — sometimes much better — after some years in bottle than they were when first released. Unsubtly bright fruit, oaky flavors and tannins or harsh acidity in red wines may be replaced by a smooth, supple palate, mellowed fruit and, eventually, tertiary flavors of cigar box, leather, earth, etc. Aging also tames white wines with very high acidity and allows more complexity to develop.
When wines that are not age-worthy get old, the lively flavors dissipate but nothing attractive takes their place. And the wine’s structure, be it acidity or tannin, may either disappear or become overly strong in the absence of fruit. It’s better to drink a wine to soon than too late!
The following is an overview of how a variety of popular wines do, or don’t, age. Remember that even within specific categories of a particular type of wine, ageability will vary dramatically based upon vintage, producer, etc. Unless otherwise noted, the comments below pertain to wine in 750ml bottles. Magnums last longer, 375ml bottles age more quickly. Before making decisions involving large outlays of cash, be sure to check into the track record of the specific wine involved.
Wines you should consume within one year or less of bottling
Beaujolais (except Village and Cru)Beaujolais Nouveau (drink within two months)
Bottled wine with plastic or rubber corks (drink within 6 months or less)
Boxed wine (drink within 6 months or less)
Jug wine
Light, sweet wines (Moscato/Muscat, White Zinfandel, etc.)
Most European wines designated as table wine or Vin de Pays (and it’s equivalents in other countries)
Wines sold for $15 or less
Non-vintage sparkling wine from anywhere except Champagne, including Asti, California sparkling wine, Cava, Prosecco and Sekt
Most fortified wine, including ruby Port, tawny Port, light Sherry (especially Fino and Manzanilla), most Madeira, Rutherglen Muscat, Vin Doux Naturel, etc.
Rioja Joven
Wines that are usually best within two years or so of bottling
Albariño
Barbera
Carmenére
Chardonnay (unoaked, except some Chablis)
Chenin Blanc (except from the Loire Valley)
Dolcetto
Grenache (except Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Priorat and the finest versions from California and Australia)
Gewürtztraminer (dry, except Alsace and the best from New Zealand)
Icewine
Malbec
Marsanne
Pinot Blanc
Pinot Gris (except top quality Alsace)
Riesling (Austria, California, German QBA)
Rioja Crianza
Rosé
Sangiovese
Sauvignon Blanc (dry)
Sémillon (except Sauternes and top dry wines from Australia or Bordeaux)
Viognier
Zinfandel (except relatively high-acid, high-tannin wines from top producers)
Wines typically best within 2 - 6 years
Bordeaux (dry white)
Cabernet Franc (except Bordeaux and Bourgueil)
Chardonnay (oaked, except Burgundy 1er and Grand Cru)
Chianti Riserva
Grüner Veltliner
Merlot
Nebbiolo (Langhe, New World)
Petite Sirah
Pinot Gris (dry Alsace)
Pinotage
Riesling (Alsace, Austria’s Wachau, German Trocken, New Zealand)
Rioja (white)
Sauvignon Blanc (sweet from the New World)
Sémillon (dry, oaked)
Shiraz
Syrah (Crozes-Hermitage)
Wines typically best within 2 - 10 years
Barbaresco
Barolo
Burgundy (outside Cote d’Or, ripe vintages within Cote d’Or)
Cabernet Sauvignon (except top producers from Australia, California, Italy and Washington)
Gewürtztraminer (Alsace Vendange Tardive and Sélection de Grains Nobles)
Grenache (Priorat, top wines from Australia and California)
Madeira (Colheita)
Mourvedre
Pinot Noir (Australia, California, New Zealand, Oregon, Switzerland and German Spatburgunder)
Rioja
Roussanne (drink within 3 years or after 7)
Sauvignon Blanc (top quality New Zealand, Pouilly-Fumé, Sancerre and California Fumé Blanc)
Syrah (California, Cornas, New Zealand, Saint-Joseph, Washington)
Tempranillo
Wines from top producers in great years can age much longer than would normally be expected. I tasted this 1965 Hanzell Pinot Noir Sonoma Valley last week. It was a beautiful example of fully developed Pinot. Still ruby at the core and maintaining its acidity, the wine offered aromas and flavors of baked ham skin, dry and moist leaves, cherry, mushrooms, thyme, smoke and more. The finish was long too. Remarkable!
Wines typically best within 4 - 15 years
Bordeaux (dry white from a classified growth)Bordeaux (red, Right Bank)
Burgundy (white, Grand Cru or 1er Cru)
Cabernet Franc (Bordeaux and Bourgueil)
Chablis (Grand Cru)
Chateuneuf du Pape (white, drink within 4 year or after 8)
Chianti Classico
Nebbiolo (Gattinara)
Pinot Gris (Alsace Vendange Tardive)
Riesling (Alsace Grand Cru, Australia)
Syrah (Cote Rotie)
Wines that are typically best within 5 - 20 years
Barbaresco (top producers and vintages)Brunello di Montalcino
Burgundy (red, Grand Cru or 1er Cru)
Cabernet Sauvignon (top producers from Austalia, California, Italy and Washington)
Chateauneuf-du-Pape (red)
Marsanne (Hermitage and select Australian producers, best after 10 years)
Merlot (Spring Mountain)
Riesling (Alsace Vendange Tardive, German Kabinett, Spatlese, Auslese)
Sauternes Savennierés (best early or after 8 years)
Sémillon (dry and unoaked from Hunter Valley)
Shiraz (top wines)
Sparkling wine (vintage, not from Champagne)
Super Tuscan
Syrah (Hermitage)
Vouvray (dry and off-dry, best early or after 8 years)
Wines typically best within 5 - 25+ years
Barolo (top producer and vintage)Bordeaux (red, Left Bank)
Champagne (vintage)
Coteaux du Layon
Madeira (vintage)
Riesling (German Beerenauslese, Trockenbeerenauslese, Eiswein)
Rioja Gran Reserva
If you need a wine that might be enjoyable after 50 years, look for these from top producers in great vintages
Barolo (traditional style with high-acidity and tannins)
Bordeaux (red, Left Bank)
Burgundy (red, Grand Cru or 1er Cru from a cool year)
Madeira (vintage)
Riesling (German Spatlese, Auslese)
Sauternes
Vintage Port
Vouvray (sweet)
I recently tasted the wine shown at right. It's a 1911 Riesling and was truly excellent. It was clear amber with a water white rim. Aromas and flavors included dried apricot, dried orange peel, dill, tart apple and mahogany. Though it was probably akin to a spatlese upon release, the wine I tasted was fully dry. It still had mouth-watering acidity. It also had staying power. It was the first wine poured in the evening and neither it's aromas nor flavors were significantly diminished after three hours in glass.
These estimates are based upon my own experience coupled with guidance offered in the writings of Michael Broadbent, Oz Clarke, Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson. Share your experiences with aged wine in the comments area below.
You may also enjoy these articles:
3 Fun Ways to Learn Your Preferences in Aged Wine
How to Start a Wine Collection: Part 1
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