Aging Gracefully

Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time. John Lubbock, The Use of Life

Let's talk growing old. Akin to a vintage quilted Chanel caviar shoulder bag or any of Vermeer's illustrious work that graces the walls of the Met, fine wine ages and obtains prophetic value with every minute it remains in slumber.

We've all witnessed stories about historic bottles in auction at Christie's or Sotheby's being pined after by collectors and enthusiasts throughout the world. But what truly confers value to such wines, of course, aside from the famed chateaus and domaines from which they hail?

This question goes beyond the First Growths of Bordeaux or the Grand Cru vineyards of Burgundy whose ageability is unquestioned, especially during their most prime vintages. As evidenced by the success of Napa and Sonoma's stake on Cabernet Sauvignon, as well as the prowess of Australia's Shiraz industry, ageable wines are found in both Old and New World regions.

As the price of premium wines fluctuate and increase with society's economic evolution, it is important to understand that the value of wine is not only determined by its ability to be enjoyed and consumed immediately upon purchase, but its ability to hold quality and evolve over time in one's cellar. The worlds of grape growing and winemaking coincide to achieve the four primary components that allow for certain wines to maintain their high quality, even through decades past their vintages: the levels of sweetness, acidity, tannin, and alcohol.

Sweetness

Sweetness in wine is determined by the level of residual sugar upon bottling. Wines with perceptible residual sugar may range from semi-dry all the way to lusciously sweet. However, when the finished product contains a level of sugar that is high enough to overwhelm the presence of potential microorganisms from spoiling the wine, the wine can be considered to have aging potential.

Sauternes' distinctly golden wines retain anywhere from 120g/L of residual sugar, all the way to 220g/L. Its Semillon grapes are notoriously affected by botrytis to produce the opulent nectar that has aromas of ginger, honey, and mushroom, marked by subtle acidity conferred by Sauvignon Blanc. Upon the completion of fermentation and bottling, the high level of sugar that remains creates an inhospitable environment for any microbiome to ruin the wine.

Mother Nature's mechanism for such sweet wines can also be said of Port, Tokaji Aszú, and Trockenbeerenauslese, all wines of notable ageworthiness. As for Sauternes, prime vintages for Châteaus d'Yquem and Guiraud include 1959, 1967, 1989, and 2011.

Acidity

Acidity provides wine protection which allows for years in the bottle. Similar to the environment high levels of sugar create to prevent the action of microorganisms, high levels of acidity are equally inhospitable. Cool climate regions have the upper hand here, where vinifera varietals such as Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Grüner Veltliner, and even Chardonnay thrive.

Germany's best Kabinett Rieslings and trocken Grosses Gewächs have astronomical acidity permitting wines to remain in bottle and develop the signature petrol notes and rounded floral honey aromas.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at one of Master Sommelier Christopher Bates's fine establishments, in which I was served a delicate flaky fish, paired with a 2002 Pfalz Riesling by Dr. Bürkin-Wolf from his Rechbachel Monopol vineyard. A 20-year old wine, the petrol was distinct on the nose, the balance of acid, honey, and subtle mineral was evident on the palate, and the evolved golden hue were recipes for elegance in a glass.

Of note, Austria's herbaceous Grüners from very disciplined producers and the steely Chardonnay of Grand Cru Chablis both have the capacity to retain seductive energy and focused acidity on the palate, even after years of slumber in the cellar. Vintage Champagne borne from cool chalk soils as well as peppery Northern Rhone Syrah also rely on an acidic backbone in order to age and evolve in the bottle.

Tannin

You'd be lucky to get a hold of a '92 Screaming Eagle or an '83 Latour. Both vino ateliers are famed purveyors of Cabernet Sauvignon, with Robert Parker stamping his approval for the now historic Napa producer, and of course, Latour being an unparalleled First Growth Bordeaux.

Surely some of these bottles exists in clandestine at a collector's cellar or held in security at the wineries of origin, but what makes them so desirable? Tannin.

The high levels of tannin found in big and bold viniferas such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Argentine Malbec, and let's not forget, Tempranillo and Garnacha, impart an enviable ability to age in bottle for decades. Structurally, harsh tannins for such wines are perceived most notably soon after bottling, warranting aerating or decanting. However, most aficionados prefer to let these bottles slumber, especially if they come from reliable producers and regions. Over time, the tannins smooth out, adopt a more velvet texture, and the totality of wine becomes more integrated and balanced. Whether it is a Gran Reserva Rioja or a Penfolds 389, which of course are tantalizing and can be consumed upon release, these big bold reds mature and only get finer with age.

Alcohol

We've all witnessed someone (or ourselves have been guilty of) shopping for wine based on alcohol content. What ever the reasoning may be, there is validity and value in considering wines with higher levels. Port, Sherry, Madeira, or generally any wine containing at least 14.5% ABV is generally considered safe from any potential damage by microbial growth in a sealed bottle.

Vintage Ports with ABVs nearing 20% dating back to the 1920s are known to exist and still be consumable. Likewise, Quintarelli's Amarone della Valpolicella may clock in as high as 16.5% ABV, and its structural components coincide to create a rich and intensely robust wine that may dwell for another twenty years prior to an equally enjoyable consumption.

A wine that has most or all four components, or as I like to call it the quadrifecta, will possess the greatest ability to age in a cellar for years to come. Taking it back to the basics, why is aging wine important? Every enthusiast and aficionado has their personal principle or reason, ranging from the possession of a special and rare bottle, or a story they attach when they obtained that bottle, or the meaning of that vintage (i.e. a wedding, birthday, anniversary, etc.).

But for me, the concept of aging wine is the commemoration of story telling. A bottle that is dwelling in my cellar represents the current presence of high quality, the existence of potential, and the future presence of a literal transformative experience borne out of that high quality. The creation of quality wine begins with the toil and tending of a vineyard, to the delicate harvest that follows, and the reverence of nature through winemaking. The sugar, acidity, tannin, and alcohol are all potentials present in each and every grape that goes into crafting a work of art, telling the symbiotic interplay between humans working with nature, and of nature providing for humankind.

A journey from grape to glass, aging tells the story of growth, evolution, and the aspiration for longevity.