Proper Aging of Reds

[Craysydave]

How many years should you age the various reds such as Cabs, Pinots, Zinfandels, Bordeauxs etc.? We are beginning to collect and want to know when they will be at their best.
We opened a 98 Merryvale Reserve Cab and were disappointed. Not sure if still too young or just bad bottle.

[Innkeeper]

It was too young. Every indiviual wine should be evaluated. By who? By you, with the help of others including retailers, wine critics, magazines, us and other websites, etc.

Very general guidelines and these are very general are most pinot noir, zinfandel, and syrah/shiraz should be consumed in five or six years. Lots of cabernet and Bordeaux can go ten years.

There are many exceptions to these guidelines. Burgundy, made from pinot, can individually go as long as a Bordeaux. Syrah from the Upper Rhone and from the top Australian producers can go even longer.

Cabernet and Bordeaux that costs less than $15 is usually, not always, in the 5 to 6 year range.

How do you sort this all out? With experiance, and no way else. So start out collecting very carefully. Never lay down a wine that you have no idea when it will peak. If I lay something down, I immediately post an opening date on a file on the ole 'puter. If it is less than a year, I write in on the bottle.

[This message has been edited by Innkeeper (edited 02-16-2003).]

[Craysydave]

IK,
If I understood correctly, "laydown" means date I stored it and projected date for best time to open and drink is what you put in the computer.
Most of my better Cabs are 97-99 such as
Stonestreet, Knights Valley, Hess and I have one 97 Far Niente and a 98 Silver Oak (Alexander). I am guessing that these need a few more years for best performance based on your reply. Is there a "list" of best times available here or on another website?
We ordered a 98 Silver Oak last night for my birthday and it was excellent, but if I need to age our own bottle longer for even better results I only need to know how long.
thanks

[Innkeeper]

All those listed will go ten years from vintage. I don't record the lay down date, just the year to open.

Our resident California Cab expert is WW. He has been opening '94s lately and finding most of them needing a little more time.

[winoweenie]

Hi CD and welco,me to the boaed. All of the wines you've listed are excellent agers. What type of storage facilities do you havc? If it's good storage IKs' assement is rite on. The SO Alex will go and the recently released SO Napa will go that and a few more. WW

[wondersofwine]

If you buy a wine buying guide (Hugh Johnson puts out an annual one, I think "Food and Wine" magazine does also), they have readiness charts included. Of course they are only current for a year, so you have to estimate if the buying guide is a year old or more. For example, if the 2003 buying guide says most '95 burgundies you can drink or hold but '96 you should hold, then perhaps in 2004 or 2005 you could open the '96 burgundies.