One of the greatest charms of white and rosé wines is that they taste fresh and fruity when they are young. The same is true of many young red wines, including Beaujolais, the delicate red from Burgundy that we wrote about here recently.
Some red wines do, of course, improve with time in the bottle. Classic European red wines such as red Bordeaux and rich reds from the Rhone Valley are often best with additional aging.
However, although white wines are charming when young, some of them also age well. Many whites develop such an amazing depth of character after a few extra years in a cellar that wine lovers cherish them.
Unfortunately, there are almost no rules that consumers can rely on to determine which white wines will improve in the bottle and which will deteriorate rapidly. And attempting to age them without the proper storage conditions usually fails.
Constant cool or even cold temperatures are generally best when aging any wine. Variable temperature conditions are frequently disastrous. But which white wines are best to age?
The answer to this question depends on the taster. People who appreciate mature white wines usually have lots of experience with such unusual items. And to appreciate them calls for understanding that some can be a little odd after a long-aging experience.
For instance, some superior chardonnays can be utterly delightful after several years in a cellar, but only those wines specifically designed for aging will deliver the complexities of age. Many such wines will die an ugly death.
This is true of dry rieslings. A few made with sufficient acidity can develop fascinating aromas that riesling lovers adore but that may be off-putting to those who are unfamiliar with them.
One of my favorite white wines that develops fascinating characteristics over time is sauvignon blanc. Those grapes that do best with age are sauvignon blancs that grew in areas in which substantial acid helps the fruit evolve.
Such wines frequently develop aromas similar to those of grass, wet hay, or dried tea leaves.
Domestic pinot gris is usually best consumed young, but carefully made wines from this grape occasionally develop nicely with three to four years of additional age.
The same seems to be true of blends of white wine grapes from the Rhone Valley (such as grenache blanc, viognier, roussanne, and marsanne).
Sémillon is another variety that seems to do extremely well after years in the bottle. My favorite of these comes from the Hunter Valley in Australia. It is often exceptional at age 10 or even 20!
