Wine aging is how wine evolves over time – some wines improve, others are best enjoyed young.
WHICH WINES ARE AGED?
Contrary to popular belief, most wines are made for immediate consumption and don’t improve much with age. In other words, the majority of wines will die an early death in your cellar if you hold on to them for too long. However, there are some grapes that mature better than others, and some wines that are intentionally made to withstand an aging process. These are the wines you can store in a cellar for years, or even decades until they reach their best flavor potential.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU AGE WINE?
Generally speaking, young wines taste like fresh fruit, and aged wines taste like matured fruit and other flavors. The bright and fruity notes fade into developed, complex flavors that truly show a wine’s potential. For example, aged white wine can taste less like pears and peaches, and more like nuts, honey or petroleum. Or red wine can taste less like cherries and plum, and more like prunes, mushroom and game.
Wines mature with age as tiny amounts of oxygen seep through the barrel or cork closures and interact with the fruity liquid over the years. At some point, a wine reaches its peak development and then begins to decline in quality. This magic peak time isn’t always easy to pinpoint because it can depend on the grape, vintage, and wine-making techniques. However, most premium wine producers can tell you when the wine will probably reach its best quality.
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OAK-AGING
When wine sits in oak for extended periods of time, it develops flavors of cedar, vanilla, spices, etc. French oak imparts more subtle spicy flavors into the wine, whereas American oak creates stronger flavors of coconut and vanilla. These aromas and flavors naturally exist in oak and mix with the wine as it sits. The higher the toast level, the stronger some of these flavors and the more “Smokey” a wine may taste.
Many white and delicate red wines, are not aged in oak barrels, because these additional flavors would overpower their freshness and elegance, i.e. fresh Sauvignon Blanc or an ultra light style of Pinot Noir. However, oak is common for most reds that require the oxygen and time to transform the wine into something yummy and magical.
So when someone says a wine tastes “Oaky” this is why!
Aging & Oak
Unpolished Grape 101: Wine Aging Options
What Does “Oaky” Wine Mean?
Unpolished Grape 101: Young Wine Vs. Old Wine
