Wine's age?

[Innkeeper]

First of all, BN is short lived, and I never said it will last ten years. I said that a few of the Cru Beaujolais can. BN is made immediately after harvest and released a month or two later in November of each year. There is a more technical explanation, but the way it is made contains none of the qualities that give wine any lasting life. It is meant to be consumed immediately, which is why we say, drink it by the end of January. Some retailers will keep it on the shelf. If you see one in, say, April or May, buy it and try it, if you don't believe me.

When I say some Cru Beaujolais can last ten years, I mean just that. There is a difference between "keeping" and "aging." If I had said it takes ten years to age, then you would have to lay it down for ten years without opening any of them till then. A wine that will "keep" or "last" for ten years, means that you can drink it over that period. Take 1998 Moulin-a-vent for example. It was released in 1999. You could drink it then, but it was a little rough around the edges. It has improved right up to now, when it is drinking very nicely. It may improved still more over the next year or so. However, if I had a case in the basement, I might be able to drink it right up to 2008, but it would have stopped improving some years before that.

The same goes for wines that have to age. Once they reach maturity there is some keeping time. In other words, you don't have to drink it all at once. There would be no reason to buy wine by the case if this were the case.