How do you know?

[*newbie*]

As a newbie.....how do I know when a wine is at its peak flavor and ready to drink? For example I purchased a Willamette Valley the other day and one of the wine books said Willamette Valley Pinot Noir isn't ready until 7 to 9 years after harvest?!?!? How in the world does someone know that? Are the psychic? [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/confused.gif[/img]

[Bucko]

You don't know. I have seen many predictions by the "experts" over the years. Many are dead on and many are dead wrong. It is a crap shoot at best.

Granted, there are many top producers who have a very long track record of long-lived wines. But when do they peak? How do you know? There is no simple answer. A peaked wine to one person may be youthful to another.......

Bucko