The most critical factor in the aging of wine are tannins, which alter chemically in response to small amounts of oxygen seeping through the cork over time. Temperature, light exposure, and humidity also play a role, resulting in a limited time window within which a given wine is at its peak. Many aged wines stored in cellars and brought out years later for special occasion have passed this peak, and yet consumers continue to be excited by and pay top dollar for older vintages despite their not necessarily being in the optimal taste phase.
Wine can taste better with age, but only in combination with the right creation processes and storage techniques. If there is a connection between age and wine quality, it is more likely to be found in the concept of scarcity: older wines are rarer, and price follows this traditional demand-and-supply driver accordingly.
Thanks for this post Jess, it was super interesting!
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with your last statement. The prices of old wines are higher mainly because of the scarcity, becoming ultra luxurious goods in some cases.
I did some research and found this article about 5 of the most expensive bottles of wine ever sold: Lhttp://mentalfloss.com/article/26317/5-most-expensive-bottles-wine-ever-sold
2 out of the 5 are Rothschild wines from 1945 and 1787. The article recognizes that the wine had probably gone bad by the time it was sold (1985) but its value came from the fact that it had Thomas Jefferson's initials written on the bottle. As the article mentions, "Jefferson was a hard-core oenophile. During the time that he served as ambassador to France, he often traipsed out to Bordeaux and Burgundy looking for wine for his cellar back Stateside."
The other bottles in the articles come from the years 1928 and 1941.