The Gift of Time: Why Mature Wines Make Christmas Special
At Christmas, a bottle can become both a gift and pure drinking pleasure over conversation.
A mature wine can leave a lasting impression.
Most wines, particularly commercial wines, are intended to be drunk within one to three years of bottling. But a small percentage (around 5 to 10%), evolve over time, enhancing the wine’s flavour, aroma and texture.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Which wines improve with age?
Bold Reds
Tannins - which are the bitter, drying compounds found in grape skins, seeds and stems - polymerize (binds together) softening the wine over time. Particularly prominent in reds like Spätburgunders (Germany's answer to Pinot Noir), when the tannins bind they can turn a grippy young wine into a velvety red, with a smooth mouthfeel. Becoming more complex on the palate, this process often brings out flavours of dried fruit, tobacco and leather.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
High Acidity Whites
High acidity keeps white wines like Riesling, or sparkling wines like Sekt, fresh and lively for years whilst growing more characterful. Initial primary fruit and floral flavours evolve, whilst more earthy, nutty and spicy tertiary aromas develop. The passage of time also brings out a tint of luxurious golden, brown in white wines.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Sweet & Concentrated Eisweins
Wines with residual high sugar, such as Eiswein (ice wine), can last and improve over decades. The sugar concentration acts as a natural preservative, slowing down the chemical breakdown.
The grapes that produce this rare and exceptional wine are harvested at temperatures of -7°C or below. Such frosty conditions freeze the water content of the grape. This water remains in the wine press whilst the juice drips into vats, giving this wine its dense concentration of sweet grape extract. With such high sugar levels, it is a challenge for the yeast to process the juice into wine. Eiswein, as a result, tends to have a very high natural sugar content and low alcohol volume.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Multi-award winning wine merchant. The WineBarn, recommend three of their top mature wines for gifting or sharing this festive season...
Becker
2016 St. Paul Spätburgunder Grand Cru dry
Region: Pfalz
This deep ruby red Spätburgunder has aromas of wild berries, as well as hints of red pepper and tobacco. Elegant and dense, this dry red wine has an excellent structure and length with well-balanced tannins.
This vineyard where this wine originated from in near to Weissenburg in Alsace, on the German/French. The wine is named after the former Saint Paul (Sankt Paul) monastery there.
To learn more, click here.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Schloss Reinhartshausen
2008 Schlossberg Riesling Premier Cru dry
Region: Rheingau
Juicy and characterful, this dry Riesling has ripe stone fruit aromas, a fresh acidity and a finely structured minerality. This is a quality white Premier Cru in its purest expression, reflective of the unique terroir of its origin and Schloss Reinhartshausen's philosophy of precision and restraint.
A very popular Riesling it features on the wine lists of the double Michelin-starred restaurant Le Manoir aux Quat’Saisons in Oxfordshire, as well as estate-to-plate artisanal restaurant The Newt in Somerset.
To learn more, click here.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Jakob Schneider
2012 Riesling Eiswein Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle
Region: Nahe
A first class Eiswein (ice wine) it has concentrated flavours of honey and peach. Though it's yeast content is low, it is a very sweet, intense and concentrated wine.
Eiswein is very popular for festive occasions in Germany, and also makes a exquisite aperitif on its own.
To learn more, click here.
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
London Wine Tasting
If you'd like to sample these wines for yourself, The WineBarn are hosting their Annual Portfolio Wine Tasting on Monday 1st February in London.
They invite you to join them for an unforgettable evening where you can explore the distinctive characteristics of the country’s finest wine regions and seize the opportunity to meet their esteemed winemakers, who will be joining them from Germany, Their winemakers will offer a rare chance to hear first hand about the unique climates, soils, and cellar techniques that define their craft.
With almost 100 wines available, including sparkling Sekts, elegant Spätburgunders, vintage Rieslings and noble Dessert wines, there will be something to get everyone’s juices flowing.
A ticket would also make the perfect gift experience.
To learn more, or to book, visit: https://thewinebarn.co.uk/collections/events
