Wait or drink: each bottle has its time

 

“To await a pleasure, is itself a pleasure”

(Gotthold Ephraim Lessing) 

Although I love wine like few other things, I recognize that in this world - beyond the oddities common to us enthusiasts - there is also a peculiar and in some ways "absurd" aspect, given that it is practically not common to any other food trade.

It’s the need to have to wait some time (in every case also several years) after buying a bottle to be able to drink it at its best.

To us who are "inside this world" it appears normal, almost obvious, but indeed it’s not that much, also because talking about food the only constraint that is imposed on us is the expiration date, certainly not a time to wait to be able to consume it.

Some might argue that this is one of the aspects that make wine much more than just a food, elevating it to a metaphysical level that the so-called "common people" (that is, those who outside the magic circle of wine passion) are unable to understand, and partly I agree with this statement, even if it would be good to divide the discussion into two different cases.

The first - which I will address only marginally but which deserves a much more in-depth discussion - is the case of wines that leave the cellar without being ready, or in any case far behind in their evolution, even if often accompanied by enthusiastic tones such as "vintage of the century" and by astronomical rating assigned by critics.

In this regard, I will limit myself only to saying that - beyond commercial and cash reasons - considerinh an ethical point of view it is not exactly the most correct thing that can be done, also because consumer protection should be put before all.

The other case is instead the topic I’ll talk about in this post, and it’s the case of a wine ready but with aging skills, in which - preparing in advance for waiting - we would like to enjoy it in its "best moment”, corresponding to the so-called evolutionary peak.

Basically, is it possible to know in advance how long we can (or we have to) wait before opening a bottle? What are the parameters to take into account?

First of all, two obvious but also important things, which should not be forgotten.

The first: the wine - although it depends on objective and scientific parameters - is far from being an exact science.

Every single label, even within the same vintage, can be different from the other, and therefore the same "starting point" (the bottle just released from the cellar) may not be identical.

How many times has it happened to you to drink the same wine within a short period of time of and to have found it quite different?

The second: there are a lot of factors "external" to the natural evolution of the bottle - primarily the storage and conservation conditions – able to influence the "parable of the wine", generally anticipating in an important way the moment in which it reaches its peak, but in any case ruining its quality.

However, let's now see the parameters to be taken into consideration to avoid drinking the bottle we keep in our cellar too soon - or too late.

a.   The appellation: the aspect that immediately catches the eye. Not all wines, due to their intrinsic characteristics, are able to withstand the time passage. Some denominations - by choice or by obligation - play more on an immediate pleasantness and harmony, others (generally those with greater importance) have in evolution an ally able to increase the elegance and capacity of the wine. To give a trivial example, a Brunello has higher evolutionary skills than its "little brother" Rosso di Montalcino, and therefore requires a much longer aging time in the cellar 

b.   The characteristics of the wine: labels with high acidity and tannin have a longer evolutionary path bthan those that play more on softness. It’s clear that if we are dealing with a Sagrantino or a Taurasi, the time it takes for it to reach its peak will certainly be longer than what we will have to wait to enjoy a Primitivo di Manduria or an Amarone della Valpolicella.

c.    Refinement: wines aged in small barrels (barrique or tonneau) are usually more ready and pleasant than those that - even within the same appellation – are aged in large barrels. A Barolo made by a traditional style (long macerations and aging in large barrels) almost always has a longer evolutionary path than a modernist one (low yields, shorter macerations and aging in barrique)

d.   The soil: a technical parameter, but still fundamental for the evaluation of the "correct waiting time": wines produced on sandy or sandstone-rich soils are less long-lived than those that draw sap from marly or clayey soils. For this reason, a Barolo produced in Serralunga d’Alba normally needs more time to express itself at its best than one from La Morra, but at the same time has greater aging skills.

e.   The vintage: an often underrated aspect, but of great importance for establishing the evolutionary capabilities of a label, especially when we are talking about wines coming from a single appellation (if not the same label). As a rule, "extreme" vintages (too hot or rainy) are not suitable for producing very long-lived wines, unlike vintages in which the conditions were perfect for the correct ripening of the grapes. To give an example, if you have a 2010 Brunello and a 2011 Brunello at home, I strongly recommend that you drink first the younger and wait a few more years before approaching the older one.

Clearly, what I have just said is valid in theory, because then there is a lot of exceptions capable of destroying all our certainties, even the most granitic and unchangeable.

However, this is one of the most interesting aspect of this world.

Every taste is different, every time we put our nose in the glass we start a new adventure, every drink can give us great emotions but also burning disappointments.

But the absence of risk, not trying, in wine as in life, means starting already beaten.