The expert takes the test
Is it worth buying 10-year-old wine?
“You are like a good wine – you don’t get older, you only get better,” goes a well-known saying. However, the international consumer trend is towards fruity wines that are drunk quickly. So what still speaks for older vintages today?
Published: 26 minutes ago
1/8
Older wines are particularly popular with red wines. Although certain white wines also benefit from the additional bottle aging.
This is a paid post brought to you by Mondovino
When the ideal drinking window opens is the big question of faith among wine lovers. Of course, it is a matter of taste whether you prefer to consume the fine wines in their youthful fruit phase or only when they are ripe. So is there no definitive answer to this question? The fact is that very few wine producers can afford to put a wine on the market that has to be stored in the cellar for at least ten years before it can even be enjoyed. Unless they are exclusive rarities that are acquired as collector’s items or investment objects. These are produced in such small quantities that they fetch exorbitant bottle prices, but are not significant in the multi-billion dollar wine business.
trends and technology
Internationally in demand – and thus a “modern wine style” so to speak – are fruity and early available wines with soft tannins. Fully ripe grapes and an optimal harvest time in the vineyard as well as temperature-controlled fermentation tanks and perfect conditions in the cellars enable the production of fruity wines today without any problems. Fortunately, the times when immature and grassy wines with furry tannins could only be enjoyed after a certain bottle maturity are over. Today, most specimens develop great drinking pleasure in their youth.
Complexity increases with age
And yet particularly high-quality drops only gain in depth and complexity after a different length of bottle aging. Red, white, sparkling and sweet wines can only develop their entire aromatic diversity when so-called tertiary notes develop. So can the question of the ideal drinking window be answered after all? In my opinion, a perfect wine must bring fresh fruit aromas and mature flavors at the same time. Under no circumstances should dried-up fruit and withered flower aromas meet rotten wood aromas. Then the wine has definitely passed its zenith. Even if this is a matter of taste.
aromas and flavors
primary aromas come «directly» from the vineyard and depend, among other things, on the grape variety, the climate, the vintage, the type of training or the terroir. They range from fruity or floral to spicy components.
secondary flavors formed after alcoholic fermentation. Here the cellar master can have a massive influence on the wine style. For example, malolactic fermentation creates lactic aromas, while aging in oak barrels generates woody notes.
tertiary aromas develop only after a few years of professional storage. These notes of maturity arise because the resting wine comes into contact with oxygen through the porous nature of the natural cork. Typical are leathery, mushroomy or earthy taste components.
primary aromas come «directly» from the vineyard and depend, among other things, on the grape variety, the climate, the vintage, the type of training or the terroir. They range from fruity or floral to spicy components.
secondary flavors formed after alcoholic fermentation. Here the cellar master can have a massive influence on the wine style. For example, malolactic fermentation creates lactic aromas, while aging in oak barrels generates woody notes.
tertiary aromas develop only after a few years of professional storage. These notes of maturity arise because the resting wine comes into contact with oxygen through the porous nature of the natural cork. Typical are leathery, mushroomy or earthy taste components.
Coop’s wide range of wines includes countless fruity wines that are produced for immediate use. But you will also find older vintages or wines that are suitable for further storage.
Let yourself be inspired!
Not surprisingly, a classic Bordeaux cuvée and a Gran Reserva from Spanish Rioja should not be missing from the list of aged wines. But the fact that Valais is also represented in this exclusive selection shows once again what Swiss wines are capable of.
Three ripe drops for eternity
The Bordeaux
Château La Cardonne AOC Cru Bourgeois Médoc 2012, for 19.50 francs
The Cardonne 2012 from Médoc represents the classic and elegant Bordeaux style that has been somewhat forgotten in recent years. On the nose it is reserved with cool fruit aromas such as dark cherries, cassis and blackberries. On the palate it has a precise acid and tannin structure, which has been integrated very nicely through the additional aging in the bottle. It doesn’t matter whether it’s with duck, lamb or beef: this wine is a lot of fun and is a good accompaniment to food.
Château La Cardonne AOC Cru Bourgeois Médoc 2012, for 19.50 francs
The Cardonne 2012 from Médoc represents the classic and elegant Bordeaux style that has been somewhat forgotten in recent years. On the nose it is reserved with cool fruit aromas such as dark cherries, cassis and blackberries. On the palate it has a precise acid and tannin structure, which has been integrated very nicely through the additional aging in the bottle. It doesn’t matter whether it’s with duck, lamb or beef: this wine is a lot of fun and is a good accompaniment to food.
The classic
Rioja DOCa Gran Reserva Imperial Bodegas Cune 2014, for 49.95 francs
This legendary Rioja impressively shows what the classic Gran Reserva style has to offer. Already in the nose, fruit and ripe aromas complement each other to form a multi-layered bouquet. Plum, cherry and chocolate notes pair with nuances of fresh leather and cigar box. On the palate it convinces with a fleshy mouthfeel, pleasantly ripe tannins and a very long and spicy finish. The wine goes well with both lamb loin and veal liver.
Rioja DOCa Gran Reserva Imperial Bodegas Cune 2014, for 49.95 francs
This legendary Rioja impressively shows what the classic Gran Reserva style has to offer. Already in the nose, fruit and ripe aromas complement each other to form a multi-layered bouquet. Plum, cherry and chocolate notes pair with nuances of fresh leather and cigar box. On the palate it convinces with a fleshy mouthfeel, pleasantly ripe tannins and a very long and spicy finish. The wine goes well with both lamb loin and veal liver.
Valais elegance
Valais AOC Cornalin Reserve JR Germanier 2014, for 38 francs
An amazing wine from the house of Jean-René Germanier! I was already enthusiastic about the younger vintages because of the elegance and precision of the fruit. But this reserve shows what a difference a few years of bottle aging can make. Incredibly complex already in the nose. Aromas of dried herbs, dark cherries, prunes and smoked bacon refine the spicy bouquet. Light-footed and yet powerful on the palate, with wonderfully velvety tannins and a very long finish. I really enjoyed a hearty Valais platter with fresh rye and nut bread.
Valais AOC Cornalin Reserve JR Germanier 2014, for 38 francs
An amazing wine from the house of Jean-René Germanier! I was already enthusiastic about the younger vintages because of the elegance and precision of the fruit. But this reserve shows what a difference a few years of bottle aging can make. Incredibly complex already in the nose. Aromas of dried herbs, dark cherries, prunes and smoked bacon refine the spicy bouquet. Light-footed and yet powerful on the palate, with wonderfully velvety tannins and a very long finish. I really enjoyed a hearty Valais platter with fresh rye and nut bread.
The article comes from Tobias Gysi, wine academic and Swiss wine sommelier.
Presented by a partner
This post was created by the Ringier Brand Studio on behalf of a client. The content is journalistically prepared and meets Ringier’s quality requirements.
Contact: Email Brand Studio
This post was created by the Ringier Brand Studio on behalf of a client. The content is journalistically prepared and meets Ringier’s quality requirements.
Contact: Email Brand Studio