There's nothing more satisfying than drinking an aged Bordeaux, Burgundy or California Cabernet. Those are rare but always special wine moments.
However, for the most part, I prefer my wines young, and I really don't think most wines evolve that much after 5 years - maximum 10. I am also, I would say, hyper sensitive to oxidation - a process that occurs in all wines as they age.
I just don't like it.
Oxidation - sounds like a topic of a future blog to me.
Anyway, young wines were not always so drinkable. Only in the past 20 years or so did you find this phenomenon with young wine, especially reds.
One of the main reasons for this "youthful drinkability" is a process called "green harvesting". This practice has been in place since the 1980's, but did not become common until the 90's.
Green harvesting is the removal of immature grape bunches from the vine, typically for the purpose of decreasing yield. What this seemingly simple process does for wine, however, is magical.
Removing the immature grapes while they are still green induces the vines to put all their energy into developing the remaining grapes. This results in wines that are more ripe and well rounded with softer, silkier tannins. Also, the "greenness" that can occur with underdeveloped grapes is significantly reduced.
The ultimate outcome is the production of wines that don't need to age as long as in the past.
Wine countries all over the world have adopted this process, so you will even find some young Bordeaux and Barolos that are more approachable in their youth.
Wine Spectator editor, Matt Kramer, wrote an interesting article titled: "Is It Worth It to Age Wines Anymore?" If you want to know what a supposed expert thinks about this topic, check out the link below:
Tom
However, for the most part, I prefer my wines young, and I really don't think most wines evolve that much after 5 years - maximum 10. I am also, I would say, hyper sensitive to oxidation - a process that occurs in all wines as they age.
I just don't like it.
Oxidation - sounds like a topic of a future blog to me.
Anyway, young wines were not always so drinkable. Only in the past 20 years or so did you find this phenomenon with young wine, especially reds.
One of the main reasons for this "youthful drinkability" is a process called "green harvesting". This practice has been in place since the 1980's, but did not become common until the 90's.
Green harvesting is the removal of immature grape bunches from the vine, typically for the purpose of decreasing yield. What this seemingly simple process does for wine, however, is magical.
Removing the immature grapes while they are still green induces the vines to put all their energy into developing the remaining grapes. This results in wines that are more ripe and well rounded with softer, silkier tannins. Also, the "greenness" that can occur with underdeveloped grapes is significantly reduced.
The ultimate outcome is the production of wines that don't need to age as long as in the past.
Wine countries all over the world have adopted this process, so you will even find some young Bordeaux and Barolos that are more approachable in their youth.
Wine Spectator editor, Matt Kramer, wrote an interesting article titled: "Is It Worth It to Age Wines Anymore?" If you want to know what a supposed expert thinks about this topic, check out the link below:
Tom
http://www.winespectator.com/webfeature/show/id/47848
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