For decades now, I’ve experienced both agony and ecstasy in the pursuit of the perfect wine.
Allow me to amend that last sentence, because I’m pretty sure that nothing is perfect. But, I am always searching for wines that surpass those that are considered to be good — or even excellent. Wines that go above and beyond expectations and become something more than a really pleasant quaff. These are bottles that are refined, and the wine in them is exquisite.
They are wines that can also elevate a meal from simply excellent to sublime. And the wonder of these beauties is that they can run the gamut of styles from deep, full-bodied reds, to silky, subtle whites, and even to delicate and complex sparkling wines. Many of these stellar wines are expensive bottles that are more than a decade old.
Happily, I can report from personal experience that reasonably priced bottles can benefit from extended aging, as well.
First, though — and this may come as a surprise — the vast majority of wines in the marketplace are meant to be consumed now, or within a couple of years. In fact, around 95% of all wine is ready to be consumed right off the shelf. So how can you judge when a wine you buy will be a candidate for aging, and then ultimately turn into something special over time?
If you would like to lay a few bottles down for future enjoyment, there are some important issues to consider. First, you’ll need to collect wines that have the best chance of morphing into something special over time. That means buying red wines such as Bordeaux, California cabernet sauvignon or other sturdy reds like Chateauneuf Du Pape, Barolo and Brunello Di Montalcino. Zinfandel, syrah and even pinot noir — particularly ones from Oregon or Burgundy — are also candidates for extended aging. Even white wines such as chardonnay from Burgundy, late-harvest sweet wines like Sauternes from France and riesling from Germany can also improve with age.
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The next critical element in selecting wines to collect for aging is the particular vintage year from which the grapes were harvested. By doing a little research using search engines like Google, you can determine from critics and wine-rating publications which vintages are touted as having the best chance of success for long-term aging. And, because of weather conditions and other viticultural factors, the quality of vintages may vary from one world wine region to another in the same year.
Once you’ve decided on a likely age-worthy vintage, read up on the specific wines and what critics are reporting about them. Often, you’ll see a lot of attention directed to the “superstar†and often very expensive wines for sale from famous places like Bordeaux or the Napa Valley. Unless money is no object, you should look for alternate, less-expensive wines from those same highly touted areas. And believe me, there are excellent value wines that turn into very special bottles over time.
Now that you’ve selected a particular wine from an age-worthy vintage, be sure you buy at least three bottles of the wine. This will allow you to open a bottle every five or so years to make sure the wine is making “forward†progress. I’ve had the unfortunate experience of finding out that I waited too long to assess the bottle, and the wine had passed its prime.
Another critical factor in the process is to make sure you store the wine properly. You don’t have to buy one of those expensive wine-storage closets, but you should age the wine in a dark, vibration- and odor-free area. And make sure the temperature doesn’t vary more than 10 degrees from summer to winter, and where the humidity is pretty high — around 70%. Purchase one of those temperature and humidity gauges and check out your designated area ahead of time to make sure it’s appropriate. If you absolutely want to be sure the storage system is ideal, you can buy temperature-controlled wine cabinets for as little as $300 or considerably more. You might check out these storage units at online sellers such as the Wine Enthusiast or Vinotemp.
Follow the suggestions mentioned above and you may be able, in a decade or so, to replicate the experience I had last Christmas. That magical night, I opened a bottle of 2004 Ridge Lytton Springs (79% zinfandel) from Sonoma County that paired seamlessly with our Christmas bone-in prime rib roast dinner. The price sticker on the bottle read: $21. It was magnificent!
