Ever Wonder? Do All Wines Get Better with Age?

It’s a common belief with wines - an older bottle is better than a younger bottle. But, is that always so?

If you’ve read some of my past blogs, you’d know that one of my favorite lines is “One of the first things to understand about aging wines is that a wine cellar isn’t a wine hospital. If a wine is flawed or just not very good, it doesn’t magically become better with age…” [from “Ask Dr. Vinny” Wine Spectator online (Sept. 21, 2014].

Today, most wines, both reds and whites, are meant to be enjoyed right away. When wines are bottled, they’re ready for consumption. Aging doesn't necessarily make them better.

This point is always driven home for me when Wine Enthusiast puts out its annual Vintage Chart. It provides guidance on when wines are “At their Peak” and whether to “Drink” or “Hold” a wine based on the wine region and the vintage date. Here are some generalized notes from the 2021 chart regarding California wines:

• Zinfandel — The 2012/2014 are at peak; The 1989 wines may be past their peak; the 1987s are in decline and may be undrinkable

• Pinot Noir — The 2012 are at peak; The 1989/1990 wines may be past their peak; 1986s are in decline and may be undrinkable

• Napa Cabernet Sauvignon — The 2012/2014 are at peak maturity; those back to 2001 are shown as ‘Can drink, may be past peak’

A good rule of thumb is that most wines will begin to fade to the down side in as few as five years and after 10 years they'll generally have lost most of their character, if not out-right spoiled. And, remember, this assumes that the wines are aged properly in a cool, dark, humidity-controlled location.

So, older wines can be better, but only up to a point. So, you don't need to age wines to be able to drink great wines.

Next time we'll look at what makes a wine age-worthy.

How Fermentation and Aging Affect a Wine's Aroma

Last time we looked specifically at how oak affects the flavor of wine. There we learned that oak can be used in the fermentation process and/or the aging process to add various flavors to the wine. But before you take a first sip of wine, swirl your wine in your glass and then stick your nose into the top of the glass and experience all the wonderful aromas that the wine has to offer.

First and foremost, a wine’s aroma is based on the grape that is used in the wine. So, fruity aromas are those that are up-front. In white wines these aromas can include those of tropical fruits, melons, and citrus. In red wines you’ll find red fruit, black fruit and dried fruit aromas. So, these set the foundation for a wine’s aroma.

Now, let’s take a look at how the fermentation and aging process affect a wine’s aroma. First, fermentation - the process that turns the grape’s natural sugars to alcohol. And, the key ingredient in fermentation is yeast. Therefore, it’s not surprising that the yeast is a factor in a wine’s aroma. While the yeast doesn’t play a major role in a wine’s aroma, it can give a wine hints of fresh baked bread, butter, cream and cheese.

Then there’s the aging process. And, here aging in oak can yield a variety of aromas, some directly from the wood and others from the small amount of oxygen a wooden barrel allows inside. Depending on type of oak and how the barrel is toasted, it can lead to sweet aromas that including vanilla, caramel, brown sugar and butterscotch. The introduction of oxygen in the barrel can lead to nutty aromas. And, a heavily toasted oak barrel can even introduce aromas of smoke, tobacco, cigar and dried leaves.

So, don’t forget ‘smell’ as part of the five-Ss in wine tasting. Try it with your next glass of wine and see how many aromas you can pick out. Cheers!

How Well Do Wines Hold Up with Time?

Wine Enthusiast Magazine, February 2018

Last time we looked at the factors that make a wine more capable of bottle aging. And, somewhat surprisingly, there are very few wines that actually hold up well in the bottle, even with proper storage.  So then, what wines do hold up?

The results reported in Wine Enthusiast's 2018 Vintage chart (February 2018) are very revealing. As you might expect, wines from the Bordeaux region of France can hold up very well. And, most of the wines from Bordeaux are still currently at their peak dating back to 1998.  Twenty years!  But beyond that, the vintage guide suggests that wines before 1998 are likely in decline and may be undrinkable.

Then there are the California wines.  Again, as you might expect, Napa Cabernet Sauvignon's are holding up well back to 1994. But, the real surprises come with other wines that just aren't as age-able.  For instance, the Napa and Sonoma Zinfandel's are only showing good back to 2007. Russian River Pinot Noir is showing good back to 2007, while a Syrah from the Central Coast of California is only holding up back to 2010.

So, the key point to remember is that only select wines are really age-worth while most others have a relatively short time that they remain drinkable. This is a lesson that a lot of us learn the hard way. We hold on to really nice wines and wait and wait for that special occasion to open them.  But, as I recently learned, I held some too long. And I'll share that story next time. Until then, Cheers!

The Factors that Make a Wine More Capable of Bottle Aging

We've now worked our way through how a wine gets its flavor - from the grape, the skins, seeds and stems, fermentation, barrel aging and last time we touched on bottle aging. There we learned that most wines are not meant for long-term bottle aging. But, what does make a bottle of wine age worthy?

It may seem obvious, but the color and the type of grape are very important. Red wines are best at bottle aging because of their natural tannin from the grape skin, seeds and stem as well as from barrel aging. This is most common in Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.  White wines generally don't age well and should be consumed young.

The vintage, or the year the grapes were grown, can significantly affect a wine's ability to age well. The balance of tannin and acid in a particular year may lend the resulting wine to better aging prospects.

Where the wine is from can also affect its ability to age. There are key regions, such as Bordeaux France and Napa California that produce very age-worthy grapes.

And finally, storage conditions are also key. Wines must be stored in cool conditions (~58 degrees F) and away from light.  Even a great wine will quickly be damaged by heat and light.

Next time, we'll take a look at specific regions and wines for their age worthiness. You may be surprised by some of the guidelines. Until then, Cheers!

Wine Flavors from Aging in the Bottle

As we continue exploring wine flavors and where they come from, let's take a step back to last time.

As was noted, barrel aging can impart many wonderful flavors to wine. Additionally, barrel aging imparts tannin. And, tannin is very important to a wine’s ability to age in the bottle.

But, not all wines are meant to be bottle aged. In fact, most are meant to be consumed immediately. Only a small percent of the world's wines are made to be aged.

As a wine ages in the bottle, it is important that it be kept in a cool environment (~58 degrees F) and kept away from sunlight. Both warm temperatures and light can quickly damage a wine.

So, if a wine is age-worthy, its flavor will indeed change in the bottle over time. The tannin will become softer (less astringent) making the wine have a smoother mouthfeel. The fruit flavors will also soften. And, over time, the color will change from red and will take on an orange hue. This all results in a wonderful wine experience.

But, aging a wine in the bottle is not always for the better. A favorite line that I read some time ago was "The cellar (or wine refrigerator) is not a hospital; it will not make a bad wine get better."  And, that is so true. You must ensure you are aging good wines.

One simple rule is if a wine does not naturally have tannin from the fruit and does not get any appreciable tannin from oak aging, it's not going to be age worthy. And, once it has gotten beyond three to five years old, it likely will have oxidized and be beyond its prime period for drinking.

So, what other factors make a wine age worthy?  We'll get into that next time. Until then, Cheers!