Wine101: The Older, The Better?

False! Most wines are actually made to be drunk within 1 to 5 years. Some grapes are more delicate, and don’t age at all (like Sauvignon Blanc, which has a ‘the fresher, the better’ policy). In general, most wines under RM60 haven’t been aged in oak-barrels. The oak help concentrate the wines (tannins, actually), and aid in ageing. So do not buy simple wines and keep it in your house for ‘ageing’ as it will not evolve to be any better.

More expensive wines are usually aged in barrels. If the winemaker uses new oak barrels, the wine will get a more oaky flavour and get extremely concentrated; so it does need to age for some time. However, the price will also be higher. Barrels can be re-used a few times, and after each use the wines will be less concentrated. Generally speaking, the more expensive the wine is, the more time it will require to age. This works mostly for the red wines, but also some whites likes Chardonnay.

For champagnes, it is a bit different. Most champagnes are sold when they have reached a good maturity, and will not evolve much while ageing. Only the top bottles, like the vintage ones or limited Cuvées, from each Maison will have some ageing potential and need for time to develop.

So go through your selection and enjoy the most of it!