Should we always wait to enjoy a Grand Cru ?

Wine evolves. It evolves once the bottle is open but it also evolves once it is in your glass. This process is called airing the wine ! However, a young wine shouldn't be consumed the same way an older wine should.

 

What you need to know :

·         Once the bottle is open, it evolves in just a few minutes. Consequently, it becomes better.

·         Each wine evolves in its own way.

·         You should also take the type of grape into account, if it's red, rosé, white or effervescent.

·         Ancient or young, each wine needs a strong knowledge of its residual evolution.

 

Don't wait for the last moment to open your bottle of ancient wine, avoid decanters and allow your wine to breathe for at least 2 to 3 hours before tasting.

The tasting and opening of an ancient wine is a very delicate process.

For exemple, young and full-bodied red wines should be carafed at least 2 hours before tasting. Classic white and red wines should be aerated for about an hour. Dry or effervescent white wines should be opened when served.

Why wait for certain wines to be at their peak ?

Certain wine bottles, especially long-keeping ones, need many years of ageing before their tasting.

Wine, this exquisite liquid, is a living matter, constantly evolving. Hence the value of certain grape varieties,  producing wines which require a long ageing period before being tasted. This process improves the wine's quality up until its peak.

 

This ageing period depends on three main variables :

·         the vintage ;

·         the genetic code ;

·         The storage condition.

 

Once you are familiar with the evolution of the wine you own, you will have the privilege of opening it !

How should you taste a long-keeping grand cru wine ?

 

Reaching their peak after a few years of cellar ageing, long-keeping wines benefit from the ageing process. The goal is to taste them at the height of their potential.

Once the process is complete, how should you taste them ?

Certain wines will need to be aerated for at least 4h before tasting them.

While other ancient grands crus might need only a few minutes, just enough to let their aromas shine and will be ready to be tasted when served !

However, you should avoid decanting them to remove their sediment.

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