When does wine peak?

[mennyg19]

Im asking this question because my brother just bought me a present. Merlot 2004 special reserve from Benhaim winery in Israel.
My question is, is this bottle peaked already or can i/should i wait another couple of months/years?
I have the same question regarding other grapes and wine. How long does wine last until its over the hill?

 

[ceeaton]

If you keep your wine in a box with some heavy books on the lid, it won't be able to peek


Higher tannin wines with higher acidity tend to age better (which Merlot normally isn't). Just depends on the Merlot, some from Bordeaux can last many, many years. You may start noticing the fruit to be fading a bit with a wine that old, just depends on the vintage.

I'm sure others know more than I do and will chime in with their expertise.

 

[ibglowin]

Way to many variables and unknowns to make any type of educated guess. Some wines are made to age 20 years gracefully. That means they have so many tannins they are not very approachable for the first 5 years or more without lots of decanting. You would have to research this wine/winery and find reviews from professionals. Merlot is not known to be a long time aging wine. Cabernet and Syrah are. I would say its more than likely peaked and on the downhill side unless it has been stored at 55F for the last 10-12 years.

 

[mennyg19]

I would say its more than likely peaked and on the downhill side unless it has been stored at 55F for the last 10-12 years.

The guy in the store told my brother that it just came in from the winery, so I'm gathering it was stored correctly.

 

[ibglowin]

Since that wine has no reviews online (that I can find) lets compare it with a Merlot that was rated an unheard of 95pts on Wine Spectator and was named #11 on their list of Top 100 Wines back in 2012. I was able to snag 3 of these several years ago and I have one left. The last one I opened about 6 months ago was very good but I thought it had "peaked" and I have excellent storage conditions. Look at the drinking window for an idea of how long the drinking window is on a 95pt Merlot wine (with LOTS of tannins). This doesn't mean that it will turn to vinegar at the end of the drinking window but a pretty good estimate of the wines drinkability. YMMV.

 

[mennyg19]

So basically i should open it sooner than later

 

[NorCal]

So basically i should open it sooner than later

It wouldn't have lasted 24 hours in my household

 

[mennyg19]

It wouldn't have lasted 24 hours in my household [emoji3]

Wife doesn't drink (unfortunately), and I have a tremendous amount of patience for wines. I have bottles aging for a while in my fridge. I only really started drinking wine 3-4 years ago. But I have bottles since then waiting...

 

[ibglowin]

Interestingly enough, the latest edition of Wine Spectator is on wines and wine regions of Israel! If your a fan you may wish to pick up a copy on the news stand. I glanced quickly at some of the scores they did on the wines they tasted and most of them had pretty short drinking windows except for wines with Cabernet Sauvignon. In answer to your question, yes I would drink it sooner rather than later and store it properly until you do.

 

[ceeaton]

I know I've seen that cover somewhere before....

Next issue (after that one) just showed up in the samples room. I'll have to go take a look at lunch time.

Just peeked, Mike I think you'll like the next issue.

 

[Ebonheart]

The internet is a great thing, if it was a purchased wine. Look it up, you'll likely find a review. If not, look up the timelines for the region it was produced in. The AWS sends us a card each year with suggestions by region (sorry, Israel is not on my card :-( ). Worst case, just email the winery and ask them. Most smaller wineries are more than willing to answer questions.

 

[mennyg19]

So, my brother went back to the store and the storeowner agreed to take the bottle back, so he exchanged it for another which he said is a surprise and he'll be bringing over during the weekend...

 

[JohnT]

So, my brother went back to the store and the storeowner agreed to take the bottle back, so he exchanged it for another which he said is a surprise and he'll be bringing over during the weekend...

I am sorry.. I think I missed something. Why did you take the bottle back?

 

[mennyg19]

Well, my brother read this thread and said he wanted to buy me a present risk-free. So he went into the store and asked and the guy said ok.
He gave me the new bottle and its a Segal's Unfiltered 2007. The wine in general is one of the top rated wines in this country, and its known that the 2007 and 2009 vintages were the two best they've had...

 

[ibglowin]

Is it this one? This was the WS review from back in 2011.

 

[mennyg19]

Is it this one? This was the WS review from back in 2011.

Looks like it. But I was told it has another year on it...