Too Young, or too late?

Better to drink it early then late. You can always decant and give it some air if it is still young. An over the hill wine is not going to get better no matter what you do.

OK, that makes sense. As an offshoot question, how do you determine the peak year of a wine>? Is it primarily the vintage, varietal and region, or does it widely vary from wine to wine?

quote:

Originally posted by VT2IT:
Better to drink it early then late. You can always decant and give it some air if it is still young. An over the hill wine is not going to get better no matter what you do.

This is true with the caveat that many here open wine that is clearly not ready. Some of them do it over and over and over.

My theory is that some just like to see their name at the top of the tasting note thread. It's their misguided little claim to fame.

quote:

Originally posted by CaliCab:
OK, that makes sense. As an offshoot question, how do you determine the peak year of a wine>? Is it primarily the vintage, varietal and region, or does it widely vary from wine to wine?

Yes.

quote:

My theory is that some just like to see their name at the top of the tasting note thread. It's their misguided little claim to fame.

Ah. Now I understand the comment in your profile.

quote:

OK, that makes sense. As an offshoot question, how do you determine the peak year of a wine>? Is it primarily the vintage, varietal and region, or does it widely vary from wine to wine?

Yes, all of the variables apply. Also, any estimate given as to peak year can vary over time. An educated guess (from a WS writer or RP) might be best after 2010, or best between 2011 and 2025. But the wine could be better earlier, or be going south much sooner than expected. In's interesting to look at first tasting notes for older wines, then see some of the followups after 10 or 15 years. It's common to see a lot of variance from the original estimate.