"Wines have four stages as they age much like a vine , but in reverse. The first stage is “fruit,” where the wine is exuberant and full of fruit flavor. Then comes “fl ower,” where the wine becomes more elegant and floral..."

Luckily none of my wines behave that way.

What about the fifth / sixth / seventh stages, when the aforementioned individual stages are the catalyst for the gradual metamorphosis into something whole - alive and evolving - never reaching perceived perfection until the general consensus is "we should have consumed this yesterday."

I think it is like this. Time scale may be minimum 5 years, maximum 250.

Stage 1 - flowery if white, fruity if red, winey in the best of cases (cases!) if pink

Stage 2 - nothing happening if white, gone to sleep if red.

Stage 3 - ballsy if red, white starting to wake up, if not previously deceased

Stage 4 - the craic is good, red is deep and delicious, white is now back to flowery fruity like when first born but 10 times better than then with some added new stuff that was not there before. Screaming good either way.

Stage 5 - tired

Stage 6 - dead