How to taste an old vintage

To get the best result from an old wine in your glass, it's all a question of preparation. You'll need to know your ideal serving temperature for your bottle. Next, the wine must not be rushed in order to bring out its aromas. The method is simple: you need to aerate your wine 4 to 5 hours before serving tasting. Simply uncork the bottle and leave to rest. Never decant an old vintage.This would only cause it to lose its aromas and potential. Leave the bottle undisturbed during this time. A slow oxygenation of your old wine will allow undesirable molecules to evaporate while strengthening your precious wine for tasting. Sound aeration will give your wine the chance to blossom..

Serve a old vintage is almost an art. Decanting allows you to remove the deposits that have built up over years of storage. However, this operation must be carried out delicately to maintain the quality of the wines. old vintages. It's best to uncork the wine in the pouring basket and serve immediately. Fill glasses only a third of the way up. 

Temperature is a decisive factor when it comes to the taste quality of old wine. As older vintages are more demanding than their younger counterparts, the recommended temperature should be increased by 1 or 2 degrees. Old red wines should therefore be served between 16°C and 18°C, while dry white wines should be served at 10°C or 12°C.

Here are a few rules to help you enjoy your old vintages to the full:

- aperitif wines should be served slightly chillier than others;
- Instead of ice cream, it's better to opt for the ice-cream bucket. Ice cream adulterates the quality of wines by melting;
- the 18° mark is a maximum not to be exceeded.

Tasting must always be done in the right order, so as not to blur the perception of the contents. To fully appreciate what's hidden at the bottom of the beautiful bottle of the same age as your son, avoid strong alcohol and foods such as garlic, spices or vinegar. Taste dry wines before sweet, full-bodied or red ones.

Before tasting, throw away your chewing gum and brush your teeth hours in advance: mint and other strong, imposing flavors distort the perception of wine taste.

Olfactory examination The first impression (good or doubtful) and the intensity of the wine's aroma (powerful and open or discreet and closed). The complexity of the aroma can be appreciated through several scent categories: fruity, vegetal, spicy, undergrowth, floral, etc. At this point, if you don't perceive anything convincing, you can stir the wine in the glass and repeat the olfactory examination.

Taste test This reveals the attack, which is the first impression (flattering, powerful, hard or unctuous), the taste of the material (light or dense) and its freshness (soft, frank, firm, supple or lively). As for old red vintages, you'll need to appreciate both the quality and quantity of the tannins. Once you've swallowed your sip, you need to feel whether the finish is pleasant or not, whether there's an alcohol burn left after the wine, or if there are any perfumes. Even if the gustatory quality of vintages is not a given, you'll have more good surprises than bad ones with bottles of respectable age.

Treat your taste buds and find superb old wines at the best prices on Comptoir des Millésimes!