What is a wine for laying down?
You've probably heard it in conversation with wine lovers, but do you know what's behind the expression "vin de garde" ? If you're thinking about building a wine cellar or expanding your existing one, read on to discover explanations and advice on the subject of vin de garde.
Wine for laying down: definition
A wine for laying down is a wine that is worth keeping for a long time before being consumed. If only a few wines can be given this title, it is because not all wines improve with age. Some reveal the best of their aromas after a decade in the cellar, while others lose their taste qualities after a few months.
While wine conservation is an infinitely complex science that can only be mastered by connoisseurs, a few criteria can help novice oenophiles and the simply curious to estimate whether or not the bottle they have in their hands has good aging potential .
How to recognize a wine for laying down?
To know if you are dealing with a wine for laying down, pay attention to the following elements:
- Tannin content (for red wines): The more tannic a wine is, the better it will age. Some grape varieties have more powerful tannins than others, such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah, Malbec and Tannat.
- Acidity : An acidic wine will generally have better aging potential. Even if it seems too acidic at first, keep in mind that this will naturally fade with age.
- The power of the aromas : an intense wine, rich in aromas with a marked flesh will tend to gain in complexity and depth over the years, unlike a clearer wine which risks becoming exhausted quickly.
- As for white wines, which do not contain tannins, it is the sugar , acidity and aromatic depth that will make them good wines for laying down.
In short, a wine rich in phenolic compounds (anthocyanins, tannins, phenolic acids, etc.) will have a greater tendency to become more refined over the years.
Other factors that influence wine aging
Obviously, these three factors are not the only ones to consider when determining whether a wine has good aging potential or not. You will also need to keep an eye on:
- Its vintage and its terroir : wines made from grapes harvested during a year with optimal climatic conditions and in a prestigious terroir can be better wines for laying down. However, some “bad” vintages can reveal all their brilliance after a few years in the cellar… This is also what makes wine magic.
- Its winemaking technique : the winemaker's know-how is one of the main factors influencing the maturation of the wine. Wines made from grapes harvested at perfect maturity, worked with a traditional winemaking method and spent in barrels have a better chance of improving with age. Of course, this parameter is often the unknown in the equation, and you will have to rely on what your wine merchant says to find the rare pearl.
- Its storage conditions : a wine considered “for laying down” can be seriously altered if it does not contain enough preservative compounds, or if the bottle is closed with a damaged or poor quality cork and if the cellar in which it is stored is subject to significant variations in humidity and temperature.
The wine evolution curve
Like a living being, wine evolves over time. Each vintage has its own evolution curve , and its peak appears more or less long after it is bottled. In addition to the differences in the duration of each phase of wine evolution, we can schematize this path in 4 stages :
- Youth , during which acidity and tannins are prominent, giving the wine a fruity and floral taste.
- Maturation , a period when the wine gradually improves until it reaches its peak.
- The peak , as its name suggests, is the ideal period to consume wine. The maturation phase has brought the wine to its peak, its aromas are ready to reveal all their richness.
- Decline : after this golden age, the wine gradually loses its qualities, its structure deteriorates and its tannins lose power.
Which regions produce the best wines for laying down?
As you will have understood, the aging potential of a wine is based on a set of factors that are more or less easy to determine, and it is not very relevant to rely solely on one of them to compose your cellar. The fact remains that certain regions are known for producing wines that are particularly suitable for aging.
This is particularly the case for the grands crus of the Bordeaux region , with Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon, of the Loire , with the wines of Saumur or Chinon and Chenin, of the South of France , with Banyuls, the whites of Corbières, Tannat or Madiran, of Burgundy with Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, or of Aslace with Riesling, to give just these examples.
Keep in mind, however, that when it comes to wines, pleasure comes first . The best way to develop a natural acuity to choose your wines for laying down is to follow your instincts and your desires , even if it means making mistakes sometimes. By adopting this stance, you are certainly opening the way to some disappointments, but above all to some nice surprises that will only enrich your oenological knowledge .
