Aged Gran Reservas from the Rioja Region of Spain

In work, when management positions come open, there often seems to be this unwritten rule that a certain amount of experience, or seasoning, is needed by the winning applicant. In the world of wine, this idea has taken off, resulting in significant price hikes to older wines. Unfortunately, this is an idea that can not be uniformly applied.

Aged wines can be hit or miss, and whether they taste good depends on a variety of factors, including the specific wine, the storage conditions, and personal taste preferences. Generally speaking, most wines are not meant to be aged for extended periods of time, and only certain types of wines, such as red Bordeaux, Burgundy, and Port, are known for their ability to age well. Aged wines can develop complex flavors and aromas over time, but they can also lose their fruitiness and become overly acidic or tannic.

Aging a wine does two things for it: first, it gives time for the fruit acids to react with the alcohol, although this is really only important for very tart wines (e.g., wines from very cold climates). The second, and more important, is that it allows for the complex oxidation process to occur for a longer period of time. A typical cork will let in about one milligram of oxygen per year. This oxygen avoids certain odors that develop under anaerobic conditions and creates stable pigments in red wine. Too much oxygen, however, can break down the sulfites that winemakers add to protect the wine from oxidation.

So with so much uncertainty in what happens to a wine as it ages, why is there this price premium for aged wines? Is it unscrupulous wine sellers, knowing that people will pay for age because of reputation? Is it the natural result of building in the price of storing the wine for so long into the price? Whatever it may be, my personal experience has been that, so long as you are drinking a wine that has reached the minimum recommended age (from the producer) to consume the wine, then a $30 bottle of a younger wine is going to be better than a $30 bottle of an aged wine.

Which brings me to this weeks tasting. As you will hear on the pod, we tasked a 2010 Faustino and a 2012 Lopez de Haro, both Gran Reservas, both around $35. The Faustino was pretty good, the Haro not so much (seriously, you gotta hear Priscilla’s reaction to this one), but neither was as good as the much younger 2015 Valserrano Gran Reserva we sampled in our first podcast. The Faustino did have a fantastic bottle presentation, and was a fairly good representation of the Rioja region, with spice, oak, and a very earthy mellowness to the wine. However, it was just not as complex, nor did it last as long on the tongue, as the Valserrano.

Next week we are moving through the Pyrenees, and making our first foray into the world of Bordeaux. We can’t wait! Talk to you then.