Ageing wines, which wines would you age?

[Guest crossbow]

Ken

Why is it that some wines are good for ageing for a long time while others are good to go after a certain period of time like 8-10 years. (ready to drink)

Example:

Example #1

Item Details: 1898 Barbeito Verdelho Madeira [1473035-B5773]

Type Appellation

Madeira Portugal, Madeira

Condition Description: Excellent general condition

Provenance: Removed from a temperature controlled wine cellar.

Place Bid/Track

Available Bottle Size End Date

1 750ml April 9, 2006 6:00 PM (PDT)

Estimates Current Bid

Quantity Amount ($20 increments)

$485-525 $485 from WineBid site

Example #2

Château Latour--Vintage 1989

Pauillac, 1er cru classé

In original wooden case

"An evolved dark ruby colour reveals amber at the edge. The nose offers aromas of caramel, coffee, ripe black cherry and currant fruit, cedar, and spice box. It is a very fine, delicious Latour... Antipated maturity: now-2020." Robert Parker, Wine Advocate #129 (June 2000)

$2000-3000 at a dozen bottles per lot - Christie's NY April 8

Thanks

CB

[Colt45]

I'm not Ken, but I'll give a brief answer. Madeira is a fortified wine, and is also

heated. It is able to age for a long time.

A first growth Bordeaux, as in your second example, can also age for decades,

but can't really be compared to a Madeira, Port, or Sherry.

[Ken Gargett]

it is one of the great questions. all sorts of reasons and entire books written about this.

madiera is probably the longest ageing wine of all (i think the heating was a little inadvertent in the early days but didn't hurt the wine tho i am not sure they still do it).

great vintage in madeira, 1898, i have a couple squirrelled well away so not even i can get to them without a long drive and much arrangements.

89 latour another great wine. top bordeaux from excellent vintages does go for many years. latour is also perhaps well known for ageing, more than any other bordeaux. you couldn't go wrong if it has been well stored - always key.

don't discount whites, especially sauternes. great ones can go for decades. there is not a human alive today that will outlive the 2001 yquem for example. even well stored champagne can age well.

things like viognier, sauv blanc and many cheaper chardies are best drunk younger.

all to do with vintages, balance, tannins, acidity etc etc. not sure if that helps at all.

[cigarnv]

I feel one must also keep in mind the impact of storage when discussing aging and wine life. IMO the greatest single external factor impacting the life of a wine is temperature. Wines stored at 54F will age far slower than those at 65F. At 75F even the great bordeaux's will die prematurely.