Dan's Papers - November 23, 2007

When It Comes To Great Wine, Age Often Trumps Youth.
But There Are Exceptions, Some Of Them Real Beauties.

Most wine drinkers think the most important wines are designed to age. Well, some are, some aren't.

About 90 percent of all wine produced is meant to be consumed within two years of being bottled, and much of that wine is consumed within days of being bought at a store. So only about 10 percent of all wine is produced to age longer than two years and of that only a few percent is meant to age longer than five years. Naturally there are some wines that can and will age for decades, but they are usually very expensive and a bit rare.

Almost all wines are aged a bit. There are wine laws that dictate how long a wine needs to be aged before it is bottled and sold, depending on the region and appellation. Champagne, Brunello di Montalcino, Chianti Classico, Bordeaux and Rioja all have minimum ageing requirements before these wines are sold to the public. The reason for this bit of ageing is to allow the wine to evolve aerobically, or with oxygen, which is the whole idea behind ageing wine. So in reality most wines we drink today have been aged for a bit already. For example, Rioja Crianza legally must be aged in a barrel (this increases the amount of oxygen the wine is exposed to) for one year, a Rioja Reserva must be aged for three years in total, one of which in barrel (look for 2001's and 02's now), while a Gran Reserva is aged a total of five years, two in oak (1994, '95 and '96 vintages recommended now). Naturally this is for the reds, while the whites have lower requirements.

Though there are exceptions, most white wines are best drunk very fresh with little ageing. A lean, racy Sancerre, for example, is meant to be enjoyed young. Ageing may actually dull its charms. On the other hand, a more muscular white, such as a Mersault, has the ability to age and evolve a bit in the bottle. New Zealand and Sancerre are two areas that focus on producing crisp, clean Sauvignon Blanc meant to drink young. So don't be afraid of that 2006 or even 2007 vintage from Marlborough, New Zealand. The 2007 vintage was harvested in New Zealand in about March this past year, so the wines have been bottled and are starting to reach our market now. With Sancerre we are between the 2005 vintage and the 2006 in the market place.

Sometimes a wine's style and grape determines when it will be at its best, and sometimes it is the actual vintage. For example, in regions like Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone Valley, some vintages are great - like the 2005 vintage in all the regions, the 2004 vintage for white wines in Burgundy, 2002 for red Burgundy, the 2003 vintage for some areas of the Rhoone and the 2000 vintage for Bordeaux. Great vintages in these regions tend to improve with age. That leaves many others, such as the 2004 vintage for red Burgundy that, though not as outstanding as the 2005, are still very good. They are also less expensive, and likely ready for drinking at a much younger age.

Which other reds can we drink now? The 2001 and 2002 vintages can be enjoyed young from most of the Bordeaux regions, though I would decant them so that they get some extra air. Pinot Noir, on the other hand, is a more delicate grape than the hearty Cabernet Sauvignon of Bordeaux. In general most Pinot Noirs are best drunk between five and eight years old, but that rule applies mostly to pretty serious wines, such as the Grand Crus and Premier Crus of Burgundy. Perhaps one reason Pinot Noir has become so popular is that it can be enjoyed at a fairly young age, though I often decant such wines to allow them to evolve in character. I happen to love Pinot Noir from regions as diverse as Martinborough, New Zealand and Niagara Escarpment in New York. I find young ones from recent vintages, such as 2003 and 2004, very enticing. They are also usually well-priced for everyday consumption.

If you like the flavors of Cabernet, but are looking to enjoy them young (or now, without additional ageing), look to Cabernet Francs from regions such as Napa Valley for the richer styles, and the Loire, Santa Barbara and New York for lighter, brighter and more floral ones. Here on Long Island are some great examples of Cabernet Francs that drink beautifully right now, such as the excellent 2003 from Wolffer Estate in Sagaponack. In the Loire Valley the key Cabernet Franc regions are Bourguiel and Chinon, and these are easy wines to match with diverse cuisine.

One grape that is constantly overlooked and produces lovely wines to drink young is the Gamay, the grape used to make Beaujolais. Beaujolais is a great wine region that doesn't get the respect it deserves, most likely due to the media hype of Beaujolais Nouveau. (Nouveau is a fun wine that has two purposes: to give the Beaujolais wines a bit of hype and to give wine consumers a chance to try the newest wines of the vintage. Look for the 2007 version in shops now.)

My favorite Beaujolais are found in one of the ten Cru Villages. These Crus produce the best examples of the Gamay grape, and each Cru has a bit of a different character. Morgon and Moulin-a-Vent used to be my favorites because they are the most intense, see some new oak and are the biggest styled. Today I appreciate the floral aromas of prettier Beaujolais from the Crus of Fleurie (named so due to the floral character of the wines), Cotes de Brouilly, and Julienas. Many of these wines are wonderful young and on a warm day taste even fresher with a bit of a chill on them.

Another source of wines to drink young are those appellations or regions that are the "redheaded stepchildren" of the great regions. For instance, if you love great Syrah from Cote-Rotie, Cornas or Hermitage, try a 2003 Crozes-Hermitage or St-Joseph. If you love great Bordeaux from, say, Pauillac or St-Emilion, try a young wine from Listrac, Moulis or Fronsac.

Other delicious young reds include Barbera, Dolcetto and Valpolicella from northern Italy; Cote du Rhones, and other Grenache-based wines from regions such as Australia and California, and some Tempranillos from northern Spain.

So you see there are plenty of options for a red wine to be enjoyed tonight, whether it is a lesser vintage of a great wine region or a lighter-styled wine from one of the grapes mentioned above.

Christopher Miller is the Senior Wine Writer for Dan's Papers "Wine Guides." Mr. Miller is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, an Advanced Sommelier with the Court of Master Sommeliers, a wine consultant for Sherry-Lehmann and wine educator. He is also the Education Director for Long Island's Sommelier Society of America, and has held the position of saucier chef at Schweizerhof in St. Moritz, Switzerland, and that of sommelier at Manhattan's '21' Club. He will be teaching wine classes at the new Suffolk Community College Culinary Center in Riverhead under the guise of The Sommelier Wine Academy. Visit his website noblewines.com or email csm@noblewines.com for more information.