Wine’s DND (Do Not Disturb) Phase
We opened a bottle of ’97 Auslese with our tasting group last night, producer to remain nameless, and the reactions were mostly negative to the effect of ‘it’s too dry’ ‘it’s spritzy’ ‘it tastes flat.’ No one was able to pinpoint the exact problem. It was clearly not corked and it didn’t taste old, which are typically two of the first accusations, but something was surely not correct. Normally, Auslese can age for years developing tons of complexity over time; what’s going on?
After several years in bottle, wine can dip into a ‘dumb phase.’ This wine was probably fruit forward, round on the palate, full of minerality and expressive of all beautiful traits that define classic Riesling, but are now muted, and the wine seems uninteresting and dull. Sometimes, decanting can help bring the wine to life, but typically, this is a phase that can go on for months to a few years. From the times that the wines begin fermenting, primary aromas (like apple, cherry) can be detected, while secondary flavors and aromas (like oak, vanilla) develop from alcoholic and malolactic fermentation, whether or not aging is sur lie, in a barrel or other vessel. Tertiary flavors are what develop in the bottle, (or any other airtight aging vessel) also preventing the wine from oxidizing.
The first awkward phase wine goes through is ‘Bottle Shock,’ in which the wine adjusts for the oxygen and sulfur used during the bottling process. (In order to divert the sulfur argument: sulfur is a very important part of bottling as it’s a preservative not only for wine but for lettuce, dried fruit and many other foods we eat daily). Bottle shock can also be a result from movement or transit of the wines, from vibrations and temperature variation. Bottling can be quite rough on the wines molecularly, so it can take some time for the wine to put itself back together. They might seem disjointed when tasted right after bottling.
The next awkward phase, if any occurs, will happen in age worthy wines and there’s no telling when it might come as some wines will age slower than others depending on the vintage, vineyard site, winemaking process, and so on. After bottling, wine continues to develop these flavors and aromas, called tertiaries. You may have heard of Volatile Acidity, or acetic acid, the smell of vinegar in a wine due to rogue yeast, unsanitary winemaking process, or unwelcome bacteria. The truth is, volatile compounds are being released all the time as wine matures, releasing the tertiary aromas. Along that path, a wine can shut down, and when it’s opened, it may be in an awkward phase between the lively fruitiness of it’s youth and the complex elegance of its adulthood. Steven Spurrier noticed in his research that this was more common in wines with more tannins. Red Rhone wines and Bordeaux seem to be more prone to experiencing this phase than say a Pinot Noir.
So you like big, bold and tannic reds. In fact, you prefer them to their lighter cousins. I’m not speaking for everyone but if you’re in that boat, my suggestion is to buy these wines in multiples. If you are getting into collecting, a good rule in general to follow is collecting in at least threes for age-able wines. Spread out the dates in which you open them. At the end of the third bottle you’ll have a more personal connection with and deeper understanding of the life of the wine.
