subject: California Wines And The Aging Process [print this page] Wine experts say that only the top five or ten percent of all wines will improve noticeably from aging, while a significant portion may actually deteriorate slightly when consumed more than five years after bottling as opposed to within the first year. The chemistry of how and why aging changes wine flavors explains, for example, why many bottles of California wine will suffer from extended aging. So before you go out and buy a few cases of an aged California red for a charity event, spend some time to learn about cellaring and which wines can benefit from it.
First off, forget the notion that wines that can age are better or that all wines will be better with aging. The purpose of aging a wine is to let the harsh, acidity and tannin-based flavors of the wine mellow out so more a complex, balanced flavor profile and bouquet can come forward. So the ability to benefit from aging requires a harsh, acidic wine. California wines very rarely have this quality, as the weather allows for perfect, full ripening of every grape. So they are ideal to drink within the first two years after bottling and will certainly be at or near their peak quality in this time period.
The aging process does more than just cause intensity to recede and allow nuance and complexity to be expressed. In very fruity, sugary wines that already have a lot of aroma, that power can diminish and get lost, leaving the wine feeling flat. In the case of a Cabernet Sauvignon, a powerful, tanniny red wine that is typically perfect for aging, California bottles often come out of 10 years of aging feeling "flabby," having lost all their character but gained very little due to their low natural acid content. However, aging does allow the bouquet to strengthen, and some wine growers think there is the potential for some specific California wines to benefit from this change, even if it comes at the cost of aroma.
Iit is worth trying a good glass of aged wine from a vintage that is known to be particularly enjoyable. The experience of tasting a high-quality bottle of Northern European wine that did have the benefit of thin flavors, low sugar, and high acidity necessary to really take advantage of aging is relatively unique in the wine world. Letting bottles reach the perfect age is difficult, as eventually they start to get past their best consumption date and then rapidly lose quality, and few bottles tend to be saved every year to test their aging potential. This makes such experiences both uncommon and expensive. But try it and you'll see what all the fuss and research into the aging process is all about.
The specifics of what the aging process requires to actually improve the drinking experience make the range of wines that benefit from cellaring very narrow. So you don't need to invest in a long term artificial cellar to get maximum value and flavor out of your favorite Californian wine.
