Enjoying Old Wines

Posted by Alan Boehmer Oct 2, 2006

The answer to questions about the drinkability of old wines is more complicated than you might think. Let's look at the most favorable scenario first. You have a Grand Cru red Bordeaux from great vintage, say the memorable vintage of 2000. It's six years old now. Should you open it? Certainly not! These wines don't even begin to show their stuff before ten years and will continue to develop for at least another ten years. But the downside - you must keep them at a pretty constant temperature (preferable around 55°) and in a dark place. If kept at normal room temperature, they will develop much faster and less gracefully. It's like the difference between quickly boiling a sauce and simmering it gently for a longer time.

Very few wines are suitable for aging at all. Almost no dry white wines and only a handful of red varietals will benefit. Wines that require age include Cabernet Sauvignon, Bordeaux blends, Barolo, and Barbaresco. These wines need years of cellaring to allow their tannins to soften and aromas to develop. We never like to open New World Cabernet Sauvignon until at least five years from the vintage date. Wines that will benefit from a few years' cellaring: Syrah, Côte-Rotie, Hermitage, top Aussie Shiraz, Burgundy (both red and white), top German and Alsatian Riesling, Chianti, Rioja.

Note that we didn't include New World Pinot Noir, Merlot or Zinfandel in our list. These wines, along with most other New World reds, are best suited to early consumption. It's true that many of these wines are released a little early and will benefit from a year or so in a cool, dark place. But once they have properly "come together" you should enjoy them for their fresh, fruity attractiveness.

For more detailed information on old wines, see our article Cellar Delights (and Disappointments) and our article Purchasing Older Wines.

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