Aging reds at home

[stevebody]

Sara,

Important thing to remember: even Robert Parker, in talking about how long to hold something, is guessing. No one knows for a dead certainty how long a wine will need to reach its peak of maturity. With Bordeaux (and you'd be better off taking someone's word like IK or Bucko than mine) you NEED to age almost all of them, except maybe some of those little gems from the outlying or minor appellations. We have a lovely little Chateau Bellevue Cotes de Castillon that is ready to go right now but even that could improve a bit with a year or two downtime.

Sometimes bottles will surprise you. I had some carpenters at my house up here lay some wallboard over a case of A-Mano Primitivo and I didn't find it for almost a full year. My first thought was that I had a case of really nice vinegar but, 'pon pouring, was delighted to find that it had improved remarkably. Go figure. I also noticed the same thing in a bottle of Kenwood Lodi Zin that I just didn't get around to for over a year. Cheap wines can age, SOME of them. In general, I have to think Cabs, Zins, Merlots, and maybe blended Italians and Tempranillo are your best bets for SHORT (1-2 year) cellaring, since I assume what you meant was to have the wines improve. Your best bet is always, still, to trust R. Parker, the Spectator, Tanzer, or your local wine steward for advice on the particular wine.

Hope that helps!