The Value of Aging Wine

                                     

With the holidays now a fading memory, my thoughts turn back to the aged wines enjoyed at the Boyd family table, or wines friends and family told me about.  Long ago, I became a believer in bottle aging red wine, so the positive reports I got of the wines below were not  surprising. 

I've never been satisfied with just the end result.  I want to know why.   Why do some wines age gracefully and others seem to stumble the older they get?   And why do certain wines reach their peak, while others have yet to arrive at that ultimate point of drinking pleasure?

The transformation of a red wine aging from raw youth to polished maturity is surely grounded in science, but for some wines, the change seems more like alchemy.

Although I've enjoyed my share of mature red wines that still had a way to go; I never fully understood why bottle aging resulted in a more complex wine.  So, I thought a non-scientific examination of the wine aging phenomenon would help me (and you, the reader) better understand what's going on.  The following exercise, I hope, will illustrate the benefits of aging.

How wine ages

Because of the intrinsic nature of red wine, they are the wines most capable of beneficial aging.  While it is not completely understood why wine benefits from aging, it is known that red wine has higher levels of grape phenolic compounds, in concert with other chemical elements, that are responsible for a red wine's color, texture and tannin, the necessary components of aging.

White wines, on the other hand, are lower in phenolics.  And whites become browner because of slow oxidation of their phenolic content.  However, white wines that are affected by botrytis (Riesling) and those with higher acidity, are more likely to benefit from bottle aging.  Barrel aging of white wines, like Chardonnay, also has some influence on aging.

Wines that benefited from aging

In the early years of my wine collecting, I kept a cellar log, recording the history of the wine, from when I got the wine, the date I drank it, and my tasting notes.  Eventually, I lost interest in the log and just enjoyed the wines.  

Here are seven wines that gave me an extra measure of pleasure and that I'm glad I let age before pulling the corks: 

Franco & Fiorina 1950 Barbaresco...Heitz Cellar 1999 Napa Valley Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon...Fetzer Vineyards 1999 Bien Nacido Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir...Silver Oak 1995 Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon...Penfolds 1998 South Australia Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon (magnum)...Williams Selyem 2012 Russian River Valley Foss Vineyard Pinot Noir...I.V.M. 1954 Boal Madeira.

And, to further explore the idea of bottle aging, I've asked two of my sons and a few friends  to comment on aged wines they have had recently.  Plus, there's a personal note on a Cabernet Sauvignon enjoyed at the Boyd family 2024 Christmas dinner. 

Bill Traverso, an old friend and fellow wine judge, California: "Years ago, I bought a bottle of 1945 Chateau Lafite, to be opened for one of my birthdays or the year 2000.  I ended up having it for my sixtieth birthday (Bill didn't  say when that was) at a small Italian restaurant in Santa Rosa. The wine still had structure and identifiable fruit aromas plus the bouquet of an aged Cabernet blend.  In my opinion there was still enough tannin and fruit for the wine to carry on for at least 10 more years."

Sean Boyd, co-owner/winemaker, Sightglass Cellars, Washington state:  "On New Year’s Eve, Kristin and I had dinner at our friends Shaun and Kelly's house.  I brought a 1990 Arrowood (Sonoma) Cabernet Sauvignon.  It was a gamble, because of the age, but totally worth it. The color was still amazing and dark/ruby.  It smelled like Cabernet, but the best part was how much fruit was left and how smooth it was.  It turned out the hit of the night."

Mark Boyd, consumer and wine collector, Washington state:  "In April 2024, I had a 2010 Woodinville Wine Cellars Cabernet Franc, with Sean, paired with BBQ rib eyes.  I remember the wine holding up very well and the cork was in great condition.  I think it was better than I remember other Cab Francs I've had. The wine was definitely mature and ready to drink and it stood up nicely with the dry rubbed ribs."

Rich Marschner, a close friend and fellow wine traveler, Arizona, submitted this entertaining report on a 1991 Vine Cliff Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, "Oh, that cork.  But if I didn't have my Ah-So,  I'd have been Dead-Meat.  It was broken, the top section dry as dust and the bottom soaked.

"First impressions:  'This is an Amarone.'  But of course it isn't.  Cigar leaf, plus a big sniff of raisin.  Medium dark color, with a little brown edge, but not prominent.  Good acid, medium sort-of-generic-tasting fruit.  Baby-soft tannins.  Some sediment.  Doubt I would recognize this as a cab, had I not known. "We're having it with Wiley's (his wife) all-day effort at beef short-ribs. 

 "Well, we've sucked it all down and it held up remarkably well, not showing fading fruit at all.  Nice match to the big, wonderfully dark and complex short-ribs, due to the 

acid (if somewhat short on fruit).  We thought it was quite good, and a very interesting wine."

 

                                             

 

Denis Broderick, an old friend who introduced me to "Irish Wine" (Bushmills Whiskey), Northern Ireland:  "I must admit, up front, that I belong to the school that appreciates wines that have a bit of maturity, with age being relative, and appropriate for the specific wine.  

"With that in mind, it normally helps if you have several bottles of the same wine/vintage, thus able to appreciate how the wine is evolving and the resulting changes to balance, complexity and personality, and hopefully, all positive.

"For example, I bought, en primeur, clarets (Bordeaux) of 2000, 2005 and 2009 vintages; plus, on release, Graham’s Vintage Port 2003, to open at family weddings and births. Once cracked open, we relive the events responsible for the purchase.  Last year, for example, we used the port to help with grandson Aodhan’s 21^st birthday, and to ponder where the years had flown!

"Further to the value of aging, the one wine that stood out was The Armagh 2001, from Jim Barry in Australia's Clare Valley. The label mentioned 'Special Late Harvest Shiraz' that punches in at 15%.  And there's the Irish link with Armagh, Clare and Jim Barry. 

"So, I bought two bottles of the wine after Armagh won the All-Ireland Gaelic football final, for the first time, in 2002, between Armagh and Kerry.  The first bottle was corked, so the expectation was not great when opening the second.  However, I was not disappointed, but relieved; it was drinking perfectly.  Bright, hint of brown and very deep color. Definitely Shiraz on the nose and palate (with tobacco hints), but so rich and heavy and with some silkiness.  Great structure and length.  A perfect match with the Roast Rib of Beef.

"Whilst we enjoyed the wine, I relived watching the match live – on a bike fitness machine in the local leisure centre!  The match went back and forth, but  in the end, Kerry went on to win their first All-Ireland.  But Armagh came back, winning the All-Ireland in 2024, this time against Galway. A well-deserved win, albeit 22 years after the first.  Again, like wine, well worth the waiting! 

"Come to think of it: wine must be the only reason in life for wanting to get old, quickly."

The Boyd Christmas dinner wine was an impressive Ridge 1989 Santa Cruz Mountains Monte Bello, a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon , Merlot and Petite (sic) Verdot.  Elegant and refined, beautifully balanced, with staying power; could easily have been mistaken for a classified growth Bordeaux. 

Impressions gained from drinking aged wine, can only be attained through patience. That's where wine's true value is.

 

Next post: Vin Jaune

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