How long should I keep a chardonney

[P.Gonzalez]

Hi my name is Scella,
I recently aquired a 1992 Chardonnay and I was curious as to wether it was any good. I remember a wine merchant told me that white wines weren't any good past 5 yrs. old. Does any one know if this hold trues. Thx for the help.

[Kcwhippet]

Well, if you're talking about that Sutter Home Fre from the other folder, it's not really wine. Fre was a wine that's had it's alcohol removed. If it was drinkable at all, it was for really no more than 2 or 3 years.

[winoweenie]

Hi Schella and welcome to the board. Very few white wines will go past 5 years so the info your friend gave you was correct. WW

[wondersofwine]

Beg to differ. Some German wines are wonderful ten, fifteen, or twenty years out. The grand cru white Burgundies also can age for decades but are far too pricey for my budget. Actually, WW you were right--very few age beyond five years. But it pays to know what those few are. Not too long ago I tried a German white from the 80's that I thought would be dead and it was still flavorful though past its prime.

[Bucko]

And don't forget Chenin Blanc from the Loire. I've had 40 y/o examples that were terrific.

[joeyz6]

In my brief experience, whites have tended to be better early-on rather than later. But there are of course exceptions. This summer, for example, I bought a 1993 Chardonnay, after having tasted it, at an unusual little winery in western Paso Robles. It's one of the only California Chardonnays I've ever liked.

[Kcwhippet]

If you go back to his original post, the Chard he's referring to is a 1992 Sutter Home Fre. So, how long does that one last, huh?