Age Isn't Just a Number

Many wines are meant to age. Many of the most traditional varieties and styles—from Barolo and Barbaresco to Premier & Grand Cru Burgundy to Rioja Gran Reserva—are grown and vinified with the intent of not only barrel, but also bottle aging, before the wine reaches its true peak.

Over time, slow and carefully controlled oxidation develop the wine’s primary (fruit, soil) and secondary (winemaking, barrel-aging, etc.) aromas and flavors by adding a third layer of tertiary notes. The primary fruit and grippy tannins of these wines integrate and settle down, while the desirable tertiary flavors of earth, spice, leather, nuts, mushroom, and forest floor add elegance and remarkable complexity to the finished product.

Unfortunately most wines on the modern market are released in their youth, as soon as they are able to be bottled and sold, and the responsibility for aging falls on the consumer. Not only does this require that you have a cool, dry, temperature-stable place to correctly store your wine, it also means that if you want a well-aged traditional Barolo or Burgundy the way it was meant to taste, you need to plan 5, 10, or even 50 years ahead! Who has that kind of patience?!

Thankfully there are still traditional estates doing the aging for us and releasing library vintages from the domaine many years down the road, when they are gorgeous and ready to drink. Though these perfectly-cellared wines can get quite expensive due to the time, space, and labor involved in aging them, some are equal or better values to younger wines already on the market!

Below I’ve linked some of our absolute favorites currently in stock, so if you’re looking for a perfectly-aged wine for a special dinner, gift, or for your cellar, look no further! On the other hand, what better way to sample a properly aged, traditional wine if you haven’t yet had the opportunity?

Happy tasting!