Aging wine...
Posted: Sat Jul 01, 2006 10:05 pm
A few years ago I began to wonder if some of my wines would improve with age, so...
I've been running an experiment where I've had 40 bottles of $10 - $30 red wine from all over the world aging for 5 - 10 years past the vintage date.
I've taken every precaution I can...The bottles have been stored in a reasonably dark wine refrigerator at 57 degrees F. The corks have stayed moist. The refrigerator doesn't vibrate.
After patiently waiting (and waiting), I've started drinking through the wines. Here's what I think I've discovered.
I think most wines in this price range were not meant to go the distance. I'm not sure if wines priced less than $30 were never meant to age so long or if something has changed in the way wines are made (are they made more accessible at a young age now and so they CAN'T age?). Examples:
- A 10 year old Burgundy was rank
- A 9 year old Chianti Riserva (from 97!) was vinegar
- An 8 year old Cab Sauv from Napa was sour
- An 8 year old Chateauneuf-du-Pape (from 98!) was OK
- A 7 year old Bordeaux (Haut Medoc) was excellent
What do you think?
I've been running an experiment where I've had 40 bottles of $10 - $30 red wine from all over the world aging for 5 - 10 years past the vintage date.
I've taken every precaution I can...The bottles have been stored in a reasonably dark wine refrigerator at 57 degrees F. The corks have stayed moist. The refrigerator doesn't vibrate.
After patiently waiting (and waiting), I've started drinking through the wines. Here's what I think I've discovered.
I think most wines in this price range were not meant to go the distance. I'm not sure if wines priced less than $30 were never meant to age so long or if something has changed in the way wines are made (are they made more accessible at a young age now and so they CAN'T age?). Examples:
- A 10 year old Burgundy was rank
- A 9 year old Chianti Riserva (from 97!) was vinegar
- An 8 year old Cab Sauv from Napa was sour
- An 8 year old Chateauneuf-du-Pape (from 98!) was OK
- A 7 year old Bordeaux (Haut Medoc) was excellent
What do you think?