How long can you age red wine until you get dimishing returns?

Question

In other words, is there a point at which the curve flattens considerably?

Answer 1

It totally depends on what the winemaker wanted to achieve.
A good reading of the label will give you an indication. Most Reds will cellar okay for 10 years, if kept still and in a cooler area where there is less variation of temp. Very few reds will still be on an upward taste curve by 15 years and it is the rare wine that can be cellared for over 20years.
Most Reds made today are for the mass consumption and quick drinking market Reserve wines and wines bought through the winery's wine clubs themselves tend to be of the higher quality longer cellaring type.
If you have any questions give the winery itself a call. I've done that myself on a number of occassions myself here in Australia

Answer 2

Depends on many factors, how long the skins of the grapes are left with the juice (this adds tannin- the more tannin, the longer the wine will last from bottling), how much acid is added during making the wine (again- more acid = better longevity), the grape quality is of high importance too (grapes with lots of flavour and good colour mean that the wine will last longer because the fruit flavour in the wine will 'hold up' a lot longer than grapes with poor flavour concentration). most cheaper reds will likely last 2-3 years. Whilst the more expensive ones up to 10+ years. It's important that the wine is stored correctly though. It should be in a cool, dark place and in ideal conditions, kept at a constant 17 degrees celcius. It should also be laid on it's side to keep the cork wet and to stop it perishing. Hope this helps.

Answer 3

If bottled perfectly and made perfectly, and stored under absolute ideal conditions, it may be 10's of years or a hundred or more.

Most likely, any homemade wine, if done well, will start losing some good qualities in about 2 years. All phases affect longevity. Making, bottling, storage. Any I have made has usually been used up within a year. I am assuming it is because I make very good wine.