The Cellaring of Wine

One of the most common wine questions we get asked is when to drink wines;
how long should they be cellared and when is the "best by" date.

Wine is a dynamic product, it is continuously changing or evolving and it never reaches a "steady state" or a state of equilibrium. This all means that all wines age differently at differnt rates and taste differently with time. Time (cellaring) produces new flavours and tastes. It is interesting to experience these. Try tasting a new vintage wine alongside an aged one of the same variety, same region and style. compare them and taste the difference and explore the new flavours that have developed with time. A wine after 2-3 years in the bottle is actually a different wine to the original. This is more obvious with white wine over this time period.

For the Cellaring of wine a very general "rule of thumb" applies.

1. Well-made red wine with good levels of tannin will cellar well. Time acts on the tannins softening the wine and making it more mellow. The higher the tannin, the longer the cellaring time.
2. White wines that have good acid levels should also improve with age.
3. Medium sweet wines such as Riesling and Gerwurztraminer will respond to aging; time acts on the "sugars" making them more honey-like to the taste.

These three pointers on aging do accept that the wine is well made and does not have winemaking faults. Cellaring time also very much depends on your own preferred wine style. Some like a red wine to be full-bodied tannic and gutsy (where less cellaring is required), others may prefer a mellow softer style (requiring a longer cellaring time). Ask yourself if you'd prefer a fresh, crisp, dry white wine or a softer, mellower white. This difference can be achieved by cellaring. Remember that any cellaring guide is only a guide, a prediction. No one knows how a wine is going to taste after a number of years in the cellar. The only way is to taste it and see. We suggest that you always buy an extra bottle or two for the cellar. Try a bottle at the wine makers recommended cellar time. They are the best at recommending a cellaring time for their particular wine.

The best way to cellar wine is to store it in a cool dark place - in the basement or under the stairs where the temperature is more consistent. Store it on its side so that the cork stays moist.
There is no need to turn the wine while cellaring. Good red wine will tend to throw a sediment while cellaring so try not to disturb. When opening a bottle of red wine, carefully take out of the rack and stand upright for 10 minutes before either decanting or pouring carefully.

St Jerome Matuka (Cabernet-Merlot) is a wine designed to get better and better with age. The wines are cellaring well. In comparative tastings with other brands of the same older vintages, St Jerome has excelled.
St Jerome has delivered and lived up to the promise of the "will cellar well", it has "stood the test of time". The wine connoisseurs and critics agree. Cellaring endorsements of St Jerome are these critical appraisals...

"I had the good fortune to taste eight vintages of the St Jerome Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot back to 1988.... I can say that St Jerome Cabernet / Merlot has a remarkable ability to age gracefully. Even the oldest wine (the 1988) was in fine form. It is a concentrated red with strong dried fruit flavours and a solid backbone of ripe tannins. Very impressive"

- Bob Campbell, Master of Wine,
  WineCritic and Author (Cuisine Wine Annual 2001).

The 1993 St Jerome Cabernet Sauvignon - Merlot!! This wine, at 11 years old, is proof that well made, well cellared New Zealand reds can go the distance..... Much richer and youthful than I expected, a real surprise.

- Jill Skilton, Master of Wine.

Cellaring Guide for St Jerome Cabernet - Merlot