When to drink - how to count

[Kcwhippet]

It's sort of apples and oranges, because there are so many variables involved. A lot depends on the type of wine being made, where the grapes are grown, the winemaker, the style of wine he/she is trying to create, the type and age of the barrels being used and a few other things. As a for instance, some California Cabs are made in a very big, extracted style with lots of fruit character and lots of tannins. The winemaker might age the wine in barrel for one, two or more years to gather some of the complexity in the barrels and to gain character. Then he might age in bottle for another year or so to let the wine sort of resolve itself to become a bit more approachable when it's released. Again, a lot depends on the wine being made and what the winemaker is trying to accomplish. Some wines with not much barrel aging can age for quite a few years in the bottle, and the converse applies, as well.