Q: optimal year to drink?

It depends on the wine. Some slide quickly and others age more gracefully.

Dimitri

just

But no wine will be wonderful on December 31, 2006, and terrible on January 1, 2007.

So please allow me to rephrase my question. which kinds usually slide quickly, e.g., champagne? what others age more gracefully? how about any correlation with the vantage? that is, a wine produced in medial year does not age as well as the ones in a good year?

thank you!

| But no wine will be wonderful on December 31, 2006, and terrible | on January 1, 2007.

unless, of course, you open it on the evening of 31 Dec and let it sit out on the counter, opened, until the following morning ;-)

This has been discussed in previous threads. Variables affecting "optimal drinking" include your personal liking for young or old wines, the storage of the wine, and the random unexplained variable "bottle variation". But having said all that as a caveat, if you use the experts recommendations as a best guess, then:

Cabernet Sauvignon does not generally fall apart quickly. That and Shiraz (Syrah) and Nebbiolo tend to be long-live wines that are less risky if you hold them for an excessive period of time (relative to expert's recommendations) Pinot Noir can go downhill quicker, but some of them age ten to fifteen years.

Chardonnays have a reputation for going downhill after five to ten years, but there are MANY exceptions. NV Champagne is another one not to keep many years.

Sweet wines, especially European Rieslings and Ports, often age a long time.

Wines from better vintages (more fruit and structure) usually age better than those from weaker vintages,

Less expensive wines of a type (say CA Cabernet from the 99 vintage) tend to age quicker than the expensive ones.

These are general guidelines, with lots of exceptions. In general, I am not worried about big Cabernets or Shiraz falling apart if I hold them too long (within reason).

Hope this helps a little.

Tom Schellberg

I would actually say the single biggest determining factor is the way the wine is made; by that I mean if it's made in a 'modern' or traditional' style. Many modern-made wines are built to be drunk far sooner than ever before; these wines drink better earlier, which is obviously a big selling point, but tend to fall apart rapidly at some point. You could drink that great 6 year old Shiraz one year and be great and literally in a year, the wine could be 'dead'. Traditional-styled wines take longer to reach that plateau but don't follow apart immediately generally-speaking. Having said that, old world wines generally are more likely to be made in a traditional sense, but not necessarily. That is why it if you have a case, open up the first bottle early and taste it; if it's not to your tastes, hold it, but if you like it drink up. Remember wine does not 'intrisically' improve over time; it changes. Possibly to your liking, possibly not. You have to learn to understand your own palate, (NOT RP or WS' palate) If you've only got 1-2 bottles, I would say this; if you think it might be ready, drink up since if it's still a little rough, and/or tannic, no major harm but if it's too late, all you'll be thinking is I wish I had opened this year's ago.

PM