How to tell if a red wine will age well

I never know if a wine will age well or just turn to vinegar. What are the criteria that affect how red wines age?

—B.P., North Melbourne, VIC

This is always a hard question to answer because it makes more sense to talk about specific wines than to generalise.

There are those reds that have a proven track record, such as the top-end Penfolds and Wynns reds, but even they can vary according to the season.

The variation in potential longevity, however, probably wavers between 30 and 50 years for Grange so, whatever the year, it’s a long-term wine.

A few generalities:

• The cheaper the wine, the shorter the potential lifespan and the more likely it was designed to be drunk early.
• Most full-bodied reds – above, say, $20 a bottle – will live for 10 to 15 years without risk of fading.
• Expensive reds are usually the longest-lived.

Potential lifespan adds value for two reasons:

1. Tradeable wines, such as high-end red Bordeaux, Penfolds Grange and Henschke Hill of Grace, can be bought and sold many times over in their long lives, with the potential for continual price appreciation; they have investment potential.
2. There is this lingering, and not very rational, widespread belief that longevity is linked to value. Pinot noirs from “new world” countries, such as Australia, New Zealand and the US, are challenging this notion.

Perhaps the most important question is not how long a wine will live, but at what age it is most enjoyable. Very old wines – of, say, 25 or 30 years – may be cherished by some drinkers but deemed to be too old by others.

The question is always, at what stage of a wine’s development do you, the person holding the bottle, get the most pleasure from it? Your own experience is the best guide and that only comes with time.

Very few wines turn to vinegar when they’re too old. They simply become tired, stale and dried-out, losing their fruit, freshness and appeal.

A rule of thumb? It’s always better to drink a wine too young than too old.

Got a drinks question for Huon Hooke?
thefullbottle@goodweekend.com.au