Cellar Delights (and disappointments)

Few of us enjoy the convenience and utility of a wine cellar. Some have wine cabinets of various sizes. Others just put their wines in dark, cool places, such as a closet or garage. The notion that wines improve with age seems firmly embedded in the minds of many wine lovers.

To be honest, the world of wine lovers is divided on this issue. Many winemakers, fresh from their studies and lacking breadth of experience ask, Why wait when the wine tastes so delicious upon release? It's certainly true that some of us are more sensitive to unsoftened tannins than others. And it's equally true that the kind of balance that is the product of a properly cellared wine routinely eludes those who aren't especially looking for it.

Increasingly, wines are being made for the short term. I recently opened a current release Cabernet Sauvignon from The Gainey Vineyard in Santa Ynez, California. I chose this bottle because it wasn't particularly expensive ($18). After tasting this wine, I silently mused, Why would anyone want to cellar this wine? It was beautifully balanced and delicious. But already knowing the right answers to such questions, I tried to imagine trading off the wonderful alluring flavors already available for others which might take another eight or ten years to develop. I couldn't wait. I had to compare this lovely wine with others in my personal cellaring project.

To be compared with the Gainey regular bottling, I chose two very differently made Cabernets from the same region. One, fermented in stainless steel, aged in French oak and lightly filtered; the other barrel fermented, aged in American oak, and bottled unfiltered and unfined. Both were from very reputable wineries and had slept peacefully in my cellar for nine years. I had vivid impressions of my initial experience of these wines. At that time, I thought the stainless steel fermented example a little hard edged, with moderate tannins but good balance. The barrel fermented example was far more alluring upon first acquaintance and I bought two cases to put away.

After nine years in the cellar, the alluring barrel fermented Cabernet had lost much of its rich flavor, had thrown considerable sediment, and had lost its balance. Apparently it had inadequate tannins to balance the very good acid. After nine years, the acid dominated, the fruit waned, and the tannins had pretty much evaporated.

In contrast, the stainless steel fermented Cabernet showed a rich and complex palette of flavors, not apparent upon release. The nose had developed significantly, the tannins had softened, but were still very much in evidence; the balance was exquisite.

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