Knowing how to buy wine for aging is a challenge for many beginner collectors. This is partially because it’s easy to conflate quality with aging potential. However, just because a wine is delicious and received high scores from critics does not necessarily mean it can age for decades. So, which wines have great aging potential?
Why Age Wine?
Buying wine young and laying it down to age has a number of advantages
- Development of complex, mature flavors
- Higher return on investment
- Ideal for special events
- More time to decide what to do with your wine
- Use the profits from selling your older wines to buy new bottles that better match your current tastes
Sangiovese
This is one of the longest-lived wines in the world, but its longevity depends on the producer and region.
Pinot Noir
This wine ages well because it is planted in locations that are relatively cool to keep acidity levels high.
Sauternes
This wine ages well because it combines high acidity with high sugar levels.
Champagne
Vintage Champagne ages well because it is often quite high in acidity.
- Although it does lose effervescence as it ages, the flavors become nuttier and creamier-a quality that many wine enthusiasts love.
- Aging potential: 15+ years for most top-quality Champagne houses; 25+ for legendary vintages.
Fortified Wines
Winemakers add spirit (a high alcohol liquor) to the wine before fermentation is complete, increasing the alcohol by volume, improving the wine’s aging potential by many decades.
- Aging potential: 50+ years for vintage port and other high-quality fortified wines.
Cabernet Sauvignon
This wine ages well because of its high acidity and good quality.
- The best of these wines are also aged in oak, giving them greater long-term aging potential.
- Aging potential: 10+ years for quality California Cabernets; 20+ years in Bordeaux blends.
Syrah
High levels of phenols, tannins, and other flavor compounds combine to form new, more complex compounds, resulting in a wine that is concentrated and multifaceted.
How to Buy Wine for Aging (and Store It Properly)
Before buying any age-worthy bottles, make sure you have a safe place to store them.
- Full-service professional storage services are the best option for keeping bottles that have aging potential because there’s less risk of damage and spoilage than if you kept them in a home cellar or self-storage locker.
What Qualities Do Age-Worthy Wines Share?
Acidity + tannic – the acidity alone increases the aging potential.
- Sauvignon Blanc – producers typically don’t ferment the variety in oak, so the wine doesn’t need all of these qualities to be age-worthy.
Riesling
Best for white wines: firm structure and sharp acidity allow some to age for 100 years or more.
Chenin Blanc
This variety is so naturally high in acidity that additional residual sugar is often used to provide balance.
