Wine X Staff
Wine X Online Edition
We’ve all heard someone say the phrase “ages like a fine wine.” For the wine novice, aging wine seems like what you’re supposed to do with wine, regardless of what kind of wine it is. I’ve been told many times that someone is saving a wine they received at their wedding, graduation, etc., for a special occasion. I ask what kind of wine it is, and they say “oh, it’s a {insert wine type here}.” “When did you get Married?” “1970.” “Oh.”
Unfortunately, the vast majority of wines from 1970 are probably, at this point, undrinkable. Wine doesn’t age on a linear curve, starting at bad and ending at awesome. They start at one level, they might go up in quality for a while, and then go way down, even past where they started. When they do that depends on the type of wine and the way it was made. With modern technology, growing techniques, and winemaking tools, they have begun to release more and more wines that are “ready-to-drink” on purchase. Gone are the days of having to buy a wine and putting the bottle in your closet for four or five years before you can drink it.
So here lies the question: is old wine better, or young wine? Should you age wine or not? I’m going to give a copout answer: it depends on your personal taste preferences.
Young wine (regardless of varietal) tends to be fresh, bright, and lively. Lots of fruity flavors, and with a red wine there can be high levels of grittier, stronger feeling tannin. The components that make up the wine might be easy to separate in your mind as you taste it. Acidity here, fruit flavor there, tannin here. And for some people, this is what wine is all about, so why change it? It does come from a fruit, so for it to taste of fruit makes sense. Certainly, for some wines there’s no reason to change it because that’s the character of the wine. A Sauvignon Blanc, for example, is a lively, fruity, and acidic wine. And those qualities won’t be improved with aging for most of the Sauvignon Blanc’s in the world.
Old wine tends to have lost its fresh fruit flavor and had it replaced with more subtle, nuanced fruit flavor. Maybe it tastes of dried apple instead of fresh apple, or prune instead of plum. Perhaps some new, more savory, herbal, or funky flavors have come out, like mushroom, wet earth, rosemary, or smoked meat. And those components that were easy to pick apart have come together now, making the wine taste more whole. When it comes to wines like Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Cabernet, the question is which do you like better? Do you want some mushroom or dried fruit character? Or do you want to keep the fresh fruit nature? There are, of course, many other flavors that older wines can pick up as they age.
With old wines in particular, there is no better way to answer this question than to experience it yourself. If you have a good wine store in your area, ask for an older vintage of a wine (hopefully they have one that isn’t too expensive) so you can see for yourself which you like better. There is no right or wrong answer, as long as you keep on drinking wine!
