How can I recognize a good vintage wine?
Tasting quality vintage wine is almost every wine lover’s dream. But how can you avoid blunders – and also not get ripped off? Pay close attention to today’s article so you can prevent disappointment and enjoy truly exclusive works of the winemaking art.
How can you recognize a good wine before tasting it? Its label reveals a lot.
The first thing to take a look at is the information on the label. Quality vintage wines don’t conceal information about the variety, origin, and age of the grapes it was made from. You can also find out about the technology used in its production and about how long the wine matured in a barrel or in its bottle.
The quality of an vintage wine depends on its origin
Perhaps the most relevant facts are information about the region and the vineyards the grapes come from. This is because vintage wines strongly reflect the character of the place where the grapes used to make them were grown. In French there is even a special term – terroir – for the set of local characteristics that significantly influence the quality of a wine. Therefore, place your bet on a wine from one of the renowned winemaking regions. If you are knowledgeable about winemaking classifications this may be the crucial factor in your choice of a quality vintage wine.
Tip: You’ll find very high-quality wines from Bordeaux. Taste some of the famous vintage wines that come from this famous French winemaking region.
Exceptionally good wines come from extraordinary vintages
You can also choose a good quality of vintage wine on the basis of a specific vintage. Even the same wine can taste different across different vintages – it depends on which year “turned out well”.
You can find tables that will provide an easy guide to the wine regions of the world in connection with expert assessments of individual vintages. However, bear in mind that a great vintage for white wine varieties doesn’t necessarily mean that the blue ones are equally successful even if they came from the same area.
Once you’ve made your choice, you’ll easily find your favorite vintage here in our shop. We have all our vintage wines nicely classified according to their vintages.
Tip: Vintage wine makes a great birthday gift. Simply give the celebrant wine from the year they were born. You an also play with numbers in the same way when choosing an anniversary gift, or even a last-minute gift. You’ll find a lot of inspiration in our section with tips for original gifts of vintage wines.
What do your senses reveal about the quality of a wine?
So, the bottle of vintage wine is already yours and the label promises a quality wine. Now comes the practical part – the tasting itself.
Caution: Before you pour the wine into glasses, sniff the cork after opening the bottle. You should smell the light aroma of the wine, or nothing at all. If you get a corky smell, that’s a bad sign. You won’t enjoy a wine like this – it will either be dull or it might even smell musty. The fault lies with the deterioration of the wine called cork taint. In our article on recognizing spoiled wine, you can read how and why cork taint happens.
Learn to recognize quality wine by its color and aroma
Assess the wine visually before the first tasting. Hold your glass up against the light and tilt it slightly. A quality wine will be crystal clear. Besides the variety of grapes, a wine’s specific shade also depends on the technology of its production, the terroir, and even its age. The older the wine, the darker it will be. Old red wine can show some brown, and vintage whites can have shades of amber in them.
Now it’s time to evaluate the wine’s aroma. Gently circle the glass – due to contact with air the aroma of the wine intensifies. You should now only smell positive scent elements. Vintage wines have several layers of scent – including special levels that develop during its long maturation in a barrel or bottle. This tertiary aroma can take on the resemblance of nutty tones or perhaps pleasantly woody scents. However, a quality wine will always have its aroma harmoniously balanced.
How does the aftertaste help one recognize a good wine?
If the wine is clear and its aroma is in perfect harmony, feel free to taste it. Before swallowing, first roll it in your mouth gently – so that it passes over all the taste buds. A quality vintage wine won’t be astringent and you won’t taste alcohol in it. As in the case of its aroma, its taste will also be complex and multi-layered. The individual flavor components will be in harmonious balance. A great wine will simply amaze you.
Another way you’ll recognize that you’ve had the honor of meeting with a quality wine is by the length of its finish. The better the wine is, the longer its taste will linger in your palate even after it’s no longer in your mouth. The highest quality wines can have a finish that lasts up to a minute. The finish of a quality vintage wine should always be pleasant – certainly not bitter or sour.
Tip: Always serve wine at the recommended temperature. This is because temperature significantly influences its taste and aroma. Wine that is too cold won’t taste good because the thermal sensitivity in the lips and the tip of the tongue is reduced. Conversely, if the wine is too warm, alcohol may predominate among the other constituents. In the case of red vintage wine, it is important for the right temperature to bring out the tones of wood and spice. What if you didn’t find the recommended serving temperature on the label? Study our article about the correct temperatures for wines.
If you’re searching for truly quality vintage wines, don’t hesitate to reach for the greatest. For example, taste the famous Italian Barolo – one of the 7 most famous wines in the world. In our article about Barolo we’ll even introduce you to its most exceptional vintages which are definitely worth trying out.
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