Maturing with grace

Domaine Chandon chardonnay 2007. Photo / Glenn Jeffrey

If Angelina wants to gaze into the future and see what Brad is going to look like, she need only watch his latest movie, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Truly astonishing makeup and prosthetics provide a realistic picture of what she's got to look forward to. Nothing wrong with ageing of course, it happens to us all and we need to accept and approach it with dignity and grace... ultimately, it's inner beauty that really stands the test of time. And so it is with good wine.

We are led to believe that as wine gathers dust, cobwebs and years, it will mature and blossom into a beverage of exquisitely proportioned style and taste. But that isn't necessarily so for all wine. There are, as with all things in life, conditions.

Frankly some wine is best drunk young and fresh and no amount of careful nurturing is going to enhance it. All too common is the story of finding an old suitcase or box at the back of the garage or under the stairs and inside is a bottle of 1974 Nobilo Pinotage or some long-buried label with a wine of indiscernible colour from 1969. Drink now? Hold?

Expect to make a fortune at auction or tip down the sink? Possibly any of the above. Generally speaking, most wines are better drunk young and the ageing process will be enhanced or hampered by whether the wines are cellared or stored correctly.

This means constant temperature, usually 11-14 degrees, no humidity, no sunlight and no vibration. A correctly aged wine should develop more pleasurable nuance, reveal more compelling aromatics and complexity, and present as more gentle and interesting. Reds lend themselves to ageing more so than whites but there are some glaring exceptions.

For example, Beaujolais is not a keeper whereas some serious rieslings can easily wait a decade. Some top-end French Bordeaux can handle 20-plus years, but you'd be courageous - and probably stupid - to think grand cru Burgundy can manage the same.

Rule of thumb: New Zealand whites 1-6 years; reds 2-8 years. If in doubt, take the cork out.

Recommended

2007 Domaine Chandon Chardonnay
Cool-climate white from Australia's Yarra Valley. Stone fruit and citrus teamed with subtle flint and savoury notes make for a crisp, zesty wine.
Price: $28

2008 Nautilus Sauvignon Blanc
In a sea of sauvignon, this is as good as it gets. Winemaker Clive Jones negotiates a tricky vintage ins. Lively, textured, clean and lean.
Price: $25