If it's any indication of aging potential...

[Andrew Breskin]

... I had the last quarter bottle of my 2005 Yarden Cabernet which was opened on Friday and finished on Monday. The wine was absolutely gorgeous. The tough, dark fruit from last week yielded to plush red berries and even milk chocolate. The tannins were still firm but had rounded out somewhat. If this ability to keep over four days at room temperature is evidence of the wine's strength and ability to hold on, the future is looking bright for those who went big on this vintage. I myself will start looking for large format!

[R Liberman]

I certainly agree with you there. When Daniel added this to his best wine list of 2009 and rated this one again:

Golan Heights Winery, Cabernet Sauvignon, Yarden, 2005: Brooding dark ruby-red, full-bodied, with near-sweet tannins and spicy oak wrapped around black currants, berries, spices and a hint of dark chocolate. Look as well for enchanting hints of citrus peel and vanilla on the long finish. Fine balance and structure bode well for the future. Drink now–2018. Score 92. K

I stocked up on it when I found it on sale for $19.95 - talk about an incredible value.

[Daniel Rogov]

Andrew, Hi....

Wines that hold well for a day, two days or even ten days say absolutely nothing about the aging or cellaring potential of the wine.

Once a wine has been opened it has, no matter how delicately treated and how well re-sealed, been exposed to a generous shot of oxygen and the process in an open bottle is basically one of oxidation (some wine chemists prefer the term "oxigenation").

It can be true that some oxidation can smooth a wine out and make it seem to blossom over a short period of time but that is a vastly different process that a wine undergoes in a sealed bottle where over time phenols, tannins, wood, and fruits interact in order to form secondary aromas and flavors, to in a sense let the wine "grow up" and mature in a natural way. There is no connection between those complex processes of maturation and simple oxidation.

I still hold to my rule that no bottle of wine is responsible for its condition a day or more after it has been opened. As a sub-set of that rule - if the wine does survive nicely after having been opened for a few days simply get on your knees and, depending on your faith, genefluct, cross yourself, touch wood, spit through the horns of the devil or simply give thanks to the fates becuse believe me, you have simply been lucky.

Best
Rogo

[Ian Sutton]

Rogov
I have a slightly different (but not entirely opposite) view.

For the opposite end of the spectrum, a wine that fell apart inside 3-4 hours of opening, would IMO cast serious doubts on it's future ageability.

As for the original supposition, it would be interesting (albeit awfully difficult in practice) to do a statistical investigation. My suspicion, is that it's not a direct link, but (IME) there's often correlation between a wine that lasts well on opening, and those that age well. Not direct 1:1 correlation though.

regards

Ian

[Daniel Rogov]

For the opposite end of the spectrum, a wine that fell apart inside 3-4 hours of opening, would IMO cast serious doubts on it's future ageability.

Agreed in full, for the wine that falls apart that quickly is clearly faulted and faults increase rather than decrease over time.

As for the original supposition, it would be interesting (albeit awfully difficult in practice) to do a statistical investigation. My suspicion, is that it's not a direct link, but (IME) there's often correlation between a wine that lasts well on opening, and those that age well. Not direct 1:1 correlation though.

Alas but in this case I am all for the rule that correlation and causation do not walk hand in hand.

Best
Rogov





regards

Ian[/quote]

[Ian Sutton]

Alas but in this case I am all for the rule that correlation and causation do not walk hand in hand.
Best
Rogov

... and in part I agree
If I see a wine last well into it's 3rd day and other aspects of balance seem in line, then it's lasting when opened gives me further confidence of ageability. However taking a wine lasting 3 days when opened to imply it would last (& improve for) at least 12 years would be folly. On that we very much agree.

regards

Ian