Over the last weekend my wife and I had the wonderful opportunity to taste a number of really great bottles of wine. Each of these wines had some time in the bottle, which led me to think about the topic of ageing wines.

Chile’s Finest

We thoroughly enjoyed Concha y Toro’s icon Carmenere, the amazing 2003 Carmín de Peumo. Wine Advocate magazine credited this Carmín de Peumo with a 97-point score, the highest it has ever graded a Chilean wine. Robert Parker Jr., at the head of this publication, is vastly considered the most internationally influential and prestigious US wine critic. Wine Spectator upgraded this wine from a score of 92 to 94 and had this to say: “Driven and pure, with remarkably supple tannins guiding the black currant, plum, graphite and melted dark licorice notes. Picks up additional loam and coffee notes on the finish, but stays finegrained and stylish despite its weight. Also contains Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.”

Best from 2009 through 2015

In 2006 Wine and Spirits magazine ranked the 2003 Carmín de Peumo among the best 100 wines of the year: “This first release of Carmín delivers luscious red fruit and soft tannins, packed with scents of tobacco and herbs, refreshed by gentle acidity. Round and approachable as a young wine, it can be served now with veal stew, but you’ll get more out of aging it five to ten years. The power of the fruit behind that velvety texture will continue to evolve into something more complex and intriguing.” –

If you bought this wine when it was released back in 2006 you might not have enjoyed it as much as if you waited a few years. While not all wines are meant to be aged, the tiny few that are, about 10%, really do need their time in the bottle to mellow out and evolve. I have had the opportunity to do vertical tastings (tasting same wine, different vintages) of some of the world’s finest wines and you would be amazed at the difference a few years can make.

Ageing wine basics

First, be very patient and buy more than one bottle of the wine you want to put down; a case of six or 12 bottles is good. Find the coolest, darkest, most humid place in your house or office and lay the case so the bottles are on their sides or upside down then forget them for a while. Check with the producers for the ideal drinking times – most websites will tell you when the ideal drinking dates are. You should have a decanter handy for when you are ready to open your wines.

Another really great wine we tried was the 2006 Justin Cabernet Sauvignon. I acquired a case of this wine a few years ago, and while it was good in its release year back in 2008, on Saturday night our progressive dinner crew rated it as one of the best wines we had during our 5- course dinner. Each year I drink a couple of bottles from this case and I could definitely taste the difference from 2008 to 2011.

Practically all the wines on supermarket shelves are meant to be consumed immediately. You must do some research and be fully informed if you want to buy wines for ageing. Buying wines that are already aged can be very expensive; it’s more cost-effective to do it yourself.

Chris Reckord is a wine enthusiast. Please send your questions and comments to creckord@gmail.com. Follow him on twitter.com/DeVineWines