The Nazi wine is said to be undrinkable because of its age, why is this.?

Question

I thought wine improved with age, so just why is this recently auctioned Nazi wine undrinkable?

Answer 1

Every different wine will have a different 'potential.' Whether white or red, there will be an optimum time that the wine should be matured in bottle before drinking. This can vary from no time whatsoever (eg. a light, crisp Sancerre) to hundreds of years (eg. a full, strong-vintage Sauternes).

The ageing potential of a wine depends on many factors: most notably, the grape variety and quality of the particular vintage (year of production). Take Bordeaux red wines, for example. In an excellent vintage (such as 1982) then many chateaux will produce wines which will continue to improve for decades afterwards, whereas a weaker vintage (such as 1997) will yield wines that are more suited to drinking young.

The exception to the rule above applies when the wine is not properly stored. Any still wine should be kept horizontally or very slightly inverted in order that the liquid in the bottle keeps the cork moist and, therefore, helps prevent air from reaching the wine inside. The 'Nazi wine,' according to reports, has not been stored so carefully and so is believed to have become tainted. Because the bottle was stored without any regard for its contents, it is likely that the cork will have dried out and allowed air to reach and react with the wine, rendering it undrinkable (or, at the very least, unpleasant).

The price that this bottle is expected to fetch at auction is based solely on the rarity and curiosity value of the bottle itself with the intact label.

Answer 2

The aging of a wine from certain years is dependent on many factors. The grape variety itself - grapes like cabernet sauvignon, merlot, syrah (shiraz) etc. - are good for maturation, other grapes like gamay less so.
Also to take into consideration is what the weather was like throughout the growing year. Too much rain, the grapes would have been dilute, not enough and the harvest may not have been good enough. These are just two reasons.
Most likely is that if the grapes were grown in a German vineyard, then it is probable that with Germany being as far north as it is they may have not had enough "sunshine" hours to produce a good enough wine that could age over time.
Hope that helps.

Also to Private, there are white wines that can age for up to 100 years and more, but more often than not producers bottle them for you to swally ASAP.

Answer 3

Some fine wines, mainly rich reds, gets better with age, but only to a point. After that, its undrinkable. Still, people buy such old wines not because it is consumable, but because of its provenance and the fact it is a rare item. Its a bit like buying a rare vase, you are not going buying it to put your flowers in it, but rather as a show piece.

Answer 4

If the wine is white,it will need no aging and will have been at its peak immediately after bottling.

Red wines vary, fermentation time in casks and particular components (acids,tanin) will determine the time at which the wine reaches maturity within the bottle.It is a myth that fine wines improve indefinitely.
Obviously,this wine was meant to be uncorked shortly after bottling.

Answer 5

Most red wines improve and develop character over time, but at some point they peak and start to decline until they eventually turn into vinegar.

Answer 6

Some wines instead of aging gracefully actually turn to vinegar.

Answer 7

I believe it has something to do with the fact that it was sealed with wax which may have reacted with the cork. It is drinkable (not vinegar) but it just won't taste all that good.

Answer 8

not all wine is good to cellar(age)
most wine will become vinagar is a decade or so

Answer 9

It could be corked, and therefor has gone off

Answer 10

Because it's a minor