The virtue of old age

Do white wines age as well as reds? Or even better?

Most wines are drunk within 12 hours after purchase. For most people, "wine storage" means putting a bottle on the kitchen counter-top for a couple of days until the next dinner party. Which is a shame because unlike other beverages, wine is the one that can improve vastly during aging in bottle.

Two weeks ago I attended a fascinating vintage comparison tasting of white wines organized by WSET Diploma candidate Michael Kirstein in Manhattan. Lined up in front of us were 12 bottles: six different wines represented by two different vintages each.

This was interesting in two regards: for one it was an opportunity to taste white wines which were 30 to 40 years old, which is something I don't get to taste every day. On the other hand, comparing an old vintage with a recent one threw light on how exactly aging had affected the wine.

Not all wines improve in the bottle. In general, a wine falls into one of these categories:

• wines meant to be drunk young, usually within 1-2 years after bottling. These wines tend to lose their fruit characters if kept longer - Beaujolais Nouveau, Pinot Grigio, inexpensive Riesling QbA
• wines which can be drunk when young but which will also gain complexity by additional bottle aging - most Riesling falls into this category
• wines which need additional bottle aging to fully unfold their aromas and flavors - Vin Jaune from Jura, Barolos from Piedmont

Why are some wines age-worthy and others are not?

Unlike most food items wines do not have a "Best before" recommendation printed on their labels. But that does not mean that a wine can be kept in the bottle indefinitely. In order to age well and actually improve over a long period of time the wine needs to have concentration and high levels of polyphenols. Polyphenols (aka phenolics) are chemical compounds found primarily in the skin of a grape, the most important being tannins and anthocyanins (which give the wine its color). They are anti-oxidants and thus act as a preservative in the wine. A grape's flavor compounds are also part of the group of phenolics. White wines have less tannins and anthocyanins than red wines which is why a lot of people think that whites don't age as well. The opposite is true. The dry, concentrated white wines of Germany and Burgundy will last for decades in the bottle. Some of the most age-worthy examples are sweet white wines: French Sauternes, Hungarian Tokajis or German Trockenbeerenauslesen are extremely concentrated and can last for a century or more.

It's the lack of concentration that allows inexpensive simple wines only a short life span. If the soil is fertile a vine will grow many bunches of grapes and many leaves, which means less nutrients per grape and eventually less concentrated grape juice. Where quantity is the main concern for growing grapes the quality will suffer and the wine will not have enough phenolics to live a long life and age well. A simple Estate Riesling with no particular vineyard designation is meant to be drunk young because the grapes were probably grown on lesser parts of a vineyard with higher yields. On the other hand, if a particular vineyard is given on the label, such as "Zeltinger Sonnenuhr", "Kastelberg" or "Zöbinger Heiligenstein", the vineyard name designates higher quality of the grapes and the wine will benefit from additional age in the bottle.

Some white varietals have a reputation of aging better than others because they have a higher natural acidity which protects the wine during the aging process. Riesling and Grüner Veltliner are known for their high levels of acidity. Pinot Blanc on the other hand has lower acidity levels, but if yields are kept low as in Alsace it enjoys a much longer life in bottle compared to a high-yielding inexpensive Pinot Bianco from Italy. Critics will often mention in their tasting note whether a bottle can and/or should be kept or not. Ideally one should ask the person who made the wine how long it will last but that's not always feasible. Unless they publish their own tasting notes like Eloi Dürrbach of Domaine de Trevallon.

The tasting

On the list of wines we tasted were two candidates which are usually not destined for a long life in the bottle, Sauvignon Blanc and Trebbiano. The rest were known to age well, if the conditions are right, but even for Rioja, especially a white Rioja, 43 years seemed a very long time. In general, all of the wines we tasted profited from longer aging and showed more complexity compared to their younger siblings.

Gerard Boulay: Sancerre "Clos de Beaujeu"

A single-vineyard (0.75 ha) Sauvignon Blanc, grown on Kimmeridgian clay (similar to Chablis) in Chavignol, Loire. Fermented in barrel and bottled without filtration. Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre is not considered an age-worthy wine but there are a few producers in the Loire like Boulay or Didier Dagueneau who restrict their yields to produce wonderfully concentrated wines.

The 2005 showed aromas of elderflowers, lemon and grass and had refreshing medium to high acidity. The palate was dominated by red apple, grapefruit and had a medium long peppery finish. The 1995 was a completely different wine: aromas of flowers and honey with more honey and thyme on the palate, which also had a notably soft mouthfeel. Both wines were of very good quality with the 1995 going beyond the typical Sauvignon Blanc flavor palette.

Edoardo Valentini: Trebbiano d'Abruzzo

Now, this one was interesting. Trebbiano is the Italian name for Ugni Blanc grape. In France Ugni Blanc is used almost solely to make the base wine for brandy. In Italy Trebbiano is known for being a crisp but otherwise bland and uninspiring wine. There are only very few exceptions and the Trebbiano d'Abruzzo from Edoardo Valentini is one of them. The winery is now run by Edoardo's son Francesco, but he is as secretive about his ultra-traditional wine making process as was his father. Valentini's wines are known to be very rustic, but at the same time very natural and enjoy a certain cult-following amongst a handful of consumers.

The 2003 had surprisingly refreshing aromas and high acidity despite '03 being one of the hottest vintages in history and therefore a difficult year particularly for white wines. The nose with aromas of barnyard, fermented cabbage and sausage was more pronounced than the palate, which had a rather weak intensity of cherries and cabbage. The 1997 was more venerable: aromas of bread crust, honey, herbs and sherry with flavors of ripe apple and sherry. Not only very interesting but also a very good wine, with more structure and longer length than the '03, which I thought to be of rather average quality.

Deutz: Champagne Brut Classique

A fine champagne from a serious producer. Equal blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Meunier and Champagne grapes, which are hand-picked (which is not the norm in Champagne).

The champagne was the wine where the age difference seemed the least obvious to me. Both wines were of very good quality, medium bodied, with a medium to high level of acidity and a very long length. Bread crust and ripe apple were the most obvious aromas in both wines with the 1976 showing additional honey notes. The flavors were a bit more flowery in the younger wine, the 1976 vintage displaying again honey and grapefruit.

Jean-Marie Raveneau: Chablis Grand Cru "Valmur"

Raveneau is one of the best producers in Chablis. His wines can be quite austere when young but age gracefully. Following the same pattern, the 2004 was very high in acidity, with mostly mineral and citrus on both nose and palate. I enjoyed its long length and spicy, peppery finish - very good quality. The 1992 was golden in color and had a developed nose with a medium intensity of honey, overripe apple, orange and tropical fruits. It was less acidic than the '04 and had a more creamy mouth feel. Honey, nuts and pink grapefruit flavors extended through a very long length. An excellent wine, very complex and well balanced. It had aged beautifully during the past 15 years and will possible enjoy another 10 in bottle.

Lopez de Heredia: Rioja Blanco "Vina Tondonia"

Traditional, family-owned bodega in the Rioja Alta region. All wines are fermented and then aged for a very long time in oak barrels, the Tondonia Blanco for at least 4 years.

The "young" vintage of 1989 had a light golden color and quite pronounced aromas of rose petals, honey, tropical fruit and orange zest. As all of the other wines so far it was dry on the palate. The flavors of the '89 were dominated by grapefruit, pepper and apricot. Long length. A very good wine with great complexity. The 1964 Gran Reserva was golden in color, had a fully developed nose with a pronounced intensity of honey, flowers, candied lemon and barnyard. The palate showed citrus, apple and honey and extended through a long length. Very good.

Jos. Christoffel Jr.: Riesling Auslese** "Ürziger Würzgarten"

Jos. Christoffel Jr. (not to be mixed up with Joh. Jos. Christoffel, a different producer) is a small and family owned Weingut in the Mosel region of Germany. Unfortunately, his wines are very difficult to find because production is small.

The 2005, a stellar vintage for German Rieslings, had a youthful nose with a pronounced intensity of citrus and flint, with undertones of honey and flowers. It was sweet but had high acidity with a medium to light body and low alcohol. The palate had a medium intensity of lemon, grapefruit, spice and again the flowery and honey notes of the aroma. Mineral finish on a long length. A very good Auslese with great balance of fruit and acidity.

Then the 1976, a brilliant golden liquid, was poured into my glass. Beautifully developed aromas unfolded in front of my curious nose: pronounced dill, honey, grapefruit and apple. The palate was sweet, had medium acidity with again low alcohol. The body seemed a little fuller due to a wonderful soft and creamy mouth feel. The complex flavor palette included honey, mushrooms, apple and apricot. The wine had a very long length with flavors still stimulating the senses after minutes. An excellent to outstanding wine. To me the essence of a perfect Auslese and a shining example of the longevity of Riesling.

Conclusion

All of the wines above demonstrated how well white wines can age. In all of them the character of the wine had developed over time. After the tasting I ordered a 100-bottle Eurocave wine cooler and vowed to lock away more of the wines I have in my cellar. Being patient is not going to be easy but now I know I will eventually be rewarded sovereignly.

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