As a beloved of many wine enthusiasts, vintage wines (old wines for short) tend to be very popular. Among these old wine followers, Michel-Jack Chasseuil, a well-known wine master and collector from France, is arguably the happiest.
He has one of the most wonderful wine cellars in the world, with countless wines and each bottle of the highest vintage and extraordinary quality. If you don't understand wine, you may have to ask, why do so many people like old vintage wines? Don't worry, this is probably the most comprehensive article on vintage wines, and you'll understand it after reading it!
01
Are all wines suitable for aging?
Speaking of aging, we have to mention a chinese saying: "Wine is the fragrance of aging.". This sentence is so deeply rooted in people's hearts that many people think that all wines are suitable for aging, so they also apply it to wine.
In fact, the vast majority of the world's wines are suitable for drinking in 1-2 years, and only a very few can benefit from aging in bottles. These vintage wines tend to be characterized by high acids, high tannins, etc., and generally come from well-known appellations and wineries. All in all, only wines of higher quality and with the potential to age will generally be de-aged.
02
How old can a wine be called an old wine?
In fact, old wine is a relative concept, and different people have different answers. Most people will think that wines with an age of 10 years can be called old wines, but some wines have a very long aging potential and are still very young when they are 10 years old, so whether they are called old wines depends on the specific situation. Of course, there are not many such wines, so for most ordinary wines, 10 years can already be regarded as a watershed between new and old wines.
03
Why do so many people like vintage wines?
(1) Many old vintages are of good quality
While the old wine must be good doesn't necessarily hold true, it's undeniable that many of the old wines we know have good qualities, such as the well-known Chateau Lafite Rothschild in 1982, Chateau Haut-Brion in 1989, Chateau Latour in 1961, and Chateau Cheval in 1947 Blanc), Chateau Mouton Rothschild in 1945, etc.
(2) Old wine is rare and precious, and has collection commemorative value
Compared to new vintages, old vintages can be said to be very rare. First, the number of old wines that can withstand the test of time is limited; second, with the passage of time, old vintage wines will continue to be consumed by people opening bottles, so they are more precious. Among them, high-quality old wines are even rarer. In addition, some old wines also have special commemorative value, which is very ideal for investment and collection, which also makes wine lovers around the world rush to chase.
(3) Tasting old wine is like sitting on a time machine
Some people say that a glass of Bordeaux wine from 82 years old is like taking a time machine to go to Bordeaux of that year. Indeed, we can often taste a different sense of the times from old wine, just like the whole history stays in the mouth, which makes people have a sense of excitement about tasting history.
(4) Special wine complex
Sometimes meeting an old bottle of wine is like love at first sight between a man and a woman, making you fall in love with a sip, which may be due to the special charm of the old wine, of course, it may also be the taste of your preference for old wine. In addition, almost all wine lovers want to collect a bottle of old wine from their birth year, which also makes old wine very popular.
04
Are old wines all very expensive?
Many people think that old wine must be more expensive than new wine, which is mainly due to the scarcity of old wine; and the longer the wine age, the higher the additional cost of preservation and transportation; in addition, many old wines also have a certain appreciation space, so price increases are inevitable.
However, the price of wine is affected by multiple factors, and the age and price of wine are not necessarily positively correlated. If the wine itself is not of good quality, or does not receive a high score from a well-known wine critic, its price does not necessarily increase significantly over time.
Taking the famous Bordeaux first-class Zhuang Lattu as an example, the current international average price of Latour (old wine) in 1972 is only 2,723 yuan / bottle, while the international average price of Latour (new wine) excluding tax in 2010 is 10,340 yuan / bottle. That said, old wine is also cheaper, and it is not necessarily more expensive than new wine.
05
Is all the old wine worth getting started?
A friend once asked me, "I have a case of Bordeaux wine from 1982, do you want to get started?" Without saying anything, I replied with a "No" gesture. Why, you ask? Quite simply, three words, no! value! get!!!
As mentioned earlier, not all wines are suitable for aging, and the only thing that supports the aging of old wines is their acidity or tannins; and this batch of wines is a table wine grade, itself is ready-to-drink, certainly not too much complexity, and the flavor will quickly pass over time, so they have no meaning to taste now. Moreover, 1982 is more than 30 years ago, not to mention drinking, it is estimated that cooking must be considered. If you have to start, unless you don't plan to drink it, it's really not worth it.
06
What are some typical old wines to look forward to?
Since not all old wines are worth starting with, what are some typical old wines worth looking forward to?
(1) France: Bordeaux grand wines with relatively good quality among similar products, Sauternes, Saint-Emilion and Pomerol wines or garage wines on the right bank, Bourgogne Grand And First Class, Rhone Valley well-known Grand Village (Cru) wines (such as Rodice Cote Rotie, Hermitage). Hermitage, Châteauneuf-de-Pape, etc.), of course, many well-known brands of champagne also have good aging potential.
(2) Italy: For example, the most classic ABBBC, they are Amarone ( Barolo ) , Barbaresco , Brunello di Montalcino and chianti Classico , these relatively good quality wines of their kind tend to have good aging potential.
(3) Spain: Reserva and Gran Reserva grade wines from well-known producers in well-known appellations such as Rioja and Ribera del Duero, as well as other well-known garage wines and the best olorosos, sweet or vintage Sherry, among the best in their class.
(4) Portugal: Tawny Ports and Vintage Port and Madeira, which are relatively good in similar products.
(5) Germany: Beerenauslese (BA) from typical production areas and well-known producers, Trockenbeerenauslese (TBA), etc.
(6) New World: Some famous wines (including worship wines) produced in the Napa Valley and Sonoma in California, USA, Langton's Classification of Australian Wine, and some Chilean wines, such as 18 Rohan, etc.
07
How can I buy the old wine that I want and can drink?
(1) Identify the production area and producer
The ageing potential of a wine depends to a large extent on its variety and wine style, but the influence of the appellation and the producer itself cannot be ignored.
Bordeaux, for example, was recognized as a good year in the world, but not necessarily in Burgundy and other appellations in the same year;
For example, in 1982, Château la Fe produced a top-notch wine, but not necessarily for some Bordeaux wineries with general quality. For this kind of old wine, they may not be able to drink for a long time.
(2) Learn to judge the quality of old wine
People who understand wine often judge the quality of old wine by looking at the water level, and indeed, the level of water reflects the preservation status of the wine to a certain extent, and also affects the quality of the wine. So how do you judge quality by water level?
In general, if the distance between the liquid level of the wine and the lower surface of the cork is large, the more oxygen remains in the bottle, the faster the wine will mature and even oxidize. When the water level is below the bottleneck, it is often necessary to consider whether quality is affected. Of course, whether the water level is below or above the desired level, be cautious! For more knowledge about water level, please refer to this article "Wine water level actually hides so many secrets, learn!" 》
(3) Go to a regular auction to bid
Auctions can be said to be the gathering place of old wines, and major auction houses will bid on some old vintage wines almost every year, which are basically identified by professionals and have relevant certificates, so it is more likely to buy a genuine wine tasting.
(4) Find a reputable merchant
Of course, some old wines do not necessarily appear in auction houses, so if you find a reliable and reliable merchant with a reputation, you can also buy satisfactory old wine. After all, the companies where these merchants are located often gather many wine professionals, and after their first-hand judgment, you can also be more assured to start.
08
How to store old wine?
Wine itself is a relatively fragile liquid, and an unsatisfactory storage environment can easily affect its flavor and quality, and old wines are no exception. Of course, different environments can also affect the speed of wine ripening.
(1) Storage status
For now, almost all old wines are bottled with cork stoppers, so it is best to place them horizontally when storing, so that the wine can be in contact with the cork, so as to avoid the cork being too dry and cracking, which will lead to air entry. In addition, it is best to avoid vibration during storage.
(2) Temperature
The ideal cellar temperature for wines is generally between 10°C and 15°C, and within this range, the lower the general temperature, the slower the ripening rate; the slower the ripening rate, the easier it is for wines to develop complex flavors and aromas. Of course, it is also important to maintain the stability of the temperature.
(3) Humidity
Constant temperature is very important, so is constant humidity, usually the humidity of the storage environment is maintained at about 75%. This means that the humidity of the refrigerator is too high, so it is inappropriate for many people to store wine in the refrigerator for a long time.
(4) Illumination
Light (especially strong light) can affect the temperature of the wine, change the chemical composition of the wine, and even bring unpleasant odors, so it is best to keep it in a dark place when preserving.
(5) Bottle type
During the bottle ageing stage, the size of the wine bottle also affects the maturation rate. It is generally considered that the larger the size of the bottle, the slower the wine matures. This may be because large bottles of wine, despite their large capacity, enter the wine through corks with almost as much air as the small bottle, so the proportion of dissolved oxygen in the wine is lower than that of small bottles, so the ripening rate is slower.
09
How to drink old wine?
(1) Open the bottle
Since the old wine is flat during storage, when you take the wine out of the cellar, the sediment in it will be suspended in the liquor, which is not conducive to drinking. Therefore, before opening the bottle, consider leaving the wine upright for a few days and allowing the sediment to sink naturally to the bottom of the bottle.
If you are not too old for wine, you can consider using a normal bottle opener to open it. However, the cork of many old vintage wines will become extremely fragile under the "destruction" of time and wine, and it will be easy to break off if you are not careful. At this time, the best thing to do is to use a special old wine opener.
(1) As with ordinary wine, the first step is to remove the bottle seal and wipe the bottle mouth clean.
(2) Observe the status of the cork and look for a suitable point to insert the old wine corkscrew between the cork and the inner wall of the bottle mouth.
(3) The two blades of the old wine corkscrew will clamp tightly on the cork, at which point you only need to slowly spin it out to complete the opening.
(2) Decanting
Old wine often does not need to be decanted for a long time, after all, its body and aroma are already very fragile, generally poured in the glass can gradually rejuvenate it. However, most of the old wine has more precipitation, so the most important thing at this time is filtered (including sedimentation and cork chips dropped when opening the bottle). The specific steps are as follows:
(1) First observe through the light source whether the sediment has gathered at the bottom of the bottle, and if so, you can start preparing for filtration.
(2) Continue to point at the light source, holding the opened bottle of wine in one hand and the decanter in the other.
(3) Slowly tilt the bottle little by little, so that the wine is slowly injected into the decanter through the filter cloth or funnel.
(4) When there is little liquor left in the bottle, pay special attention, and further slow down the speed to avoid bringing sediment into the decanter.
(5) When the mouth of the bottle is full of sediment, stop pouring the wine.
10
How does old wine taste? Must it be more and more fragrant?
After a certain period of aging, the color of old wines generally changes, for example, red wine will change from dark red-purple to dull brick red or even brown; white wine will transition from light yellow-green to amber or even brown.
In terms of taste, in most cases, the old wine will be lighter and softer, with a distinctly aged mellow aroma, and the major elements will also balance each other. Moreover, old wines with a relatively long aging age can also be seen to have obvious precipitation.
However, it should be pointed out that old wine does not necessarily become more and more fragrant. Like the wine's drinking season, its aromas have stages of development, peak and decline. When stored for too long, the aroma of the wine will gradually fade, and the aftertaste will be bland.
Even leaving this aside, we know that the aroma of wine is generally composed of variety aromas (first class aromas), fermentation aromas (second aromas) and aged aromas (three aromas). With aging, the most obvious type of aroma of the wine will gradually weaken or even disappear, replaced by more mellow aromas of the second and third types, they are not like a class of aromas, you will find different surprises every time you smell, but this does not mean that its aroma is rich.
11
Why are some of the old wine labels very new?
Old wine, that is, a wine that has been put for a long time, the wine label should be old, but why is this old wine label so new? Could it be that you have encountered fake wine?
You can't say that! In fact, many old wines are stored in the bare bottle cellar of the winery, and when they are sold out of the warehouse, the bottles are washed and disinfected and labeled with new labels. For old wines with particularly old vintages, you may even replace the cork. Because during the long-term cellaring process, the wine comes into contact with the cork, the stopper becomes fragile and easy to break, and the sealing is not so good.
If the wine leaves the warehouse early and stays in the importer's warehouse for a long time, the risk will be even greater. Because most of the importers' warehouses do not have a good preservation environment, a bottle of wine that originally has great aging potential is estimated to be a great disappointment after a long time.
In Bordeaux, which is highly commercialized, this is a different story. Some wineries that are not very well-known are likely to be naked bottle cellars hidden in the cellars of the wineries, and labeled out of the warehouse. For example, in 1994 Chateau Calon Montagne-Saint-Emilion, the wine label was new:
As for the Bordeaux listed famous villages, one situation is also that the naked bottle cellar is hidden in the warehouse cellar. The other is that the wine is bottled and labeled after the barrel ageing is completed, and the Bordeaux vintner buys the wine, some of which may be exported early, and some of which is left in the warehouse for aging.
Bordeaux vintners are powerful and have the ability to give these wines a good storage environment, and the preservation of wines is naturally very good. However, these wines are stored in full boxes in warehouses, not like naked bottle cellars, which are in direct contact with the air. For such old wines, the label will be older, but generally not tattered. Unless it's extremely old. For example, the second-class winery Chateau Doisy-Vedrines in 1985: