When is the best time to drink?

[Randy Caparoso]

I can't hold out. Let me add something, if you will. I've met many well-intentioned people who were told that this wine should be drunk "in 10 years," and this one "in 20." But very often, after a long wait, they're extremely disappointed. Why? Because when well-meaning experts (like the previous gentlemen) make maturation estimates, they're actually talking about a process of aging under ideal conditions -- which involves laying bottles down on their sides at temperatures consistently between 55 and 65 degrees Farenheit, with humidity levels somewhere between 45% and 75%. With just mild variation between seasons.

Over the years I have developed my own answer for people interested in enjoying wine crafted to be at their best with bottle age: For every 10 degrees above 55, you should expect your wine to mature twice as fast! This means that although your red Burgundy would probably be best drunk between 2010 and 2020, if the average temperature at which you're storing it is closer to 75 degrees (most people's normal "room temperature"), it would probably be best between 2002 and 2006. If you wait longer, there's a good chance that a lot of the intrinsic flavors, and sense of elegance and intensity, would "burn" off long before.

Of course, this is not a full proof system. I've been surprised many times in the past by the durability of wines aged under less than optimal conditions. But I've tasted far more wines which were disappointingly dismal, simply because someone waited too long (and often as the result of misconstrued advice). Especially if you have only one bottle -- it's better to be safe than sorry!