Wine question...?

Question

I have a bottle of red 1999 shiraz, that was bought in 2004, haven't got around to drinking it yet, as it has 'aged' slightlywhilst i've had it, does that mean it will taste better than it did in 2004? what will the difference in taste be if any?

Answer 1

The fact that it was already 5 years old when you bought it probably means that it is at it's peak now. If you leave it for much longer it might start to deteriorate.
Edit:
I have just checked on line and it seems that Shiraz wines can be left for up to 15 years before they deteriorate.

Answer 2

Open the sucker let it breath for say 30 minutes give a little pour in a red wine glass swirl around sniff then taste if is not vinegar then enjoy. Think about it is 8yrs old if you count the time it was bottled and now so it may be vinegar. Just try it the worst case scenario you have a bottle of vinegar that you can just toss or you could have delicious mellow shiraz give it a shot really vinegar never killed no one. If it is not a vinegar the body of the wine has probabl;y mellowed over time and the tanins are less harse. Shiraz's are a dry peppery wine to begin with so they are full bodied and well tasting.

Let the wine breathe important for a red wine.

Heres praying to a wine delight.

Answer 3

Well, a huge part depends upon the quality of the wine when it was bottled. Very good wine will continue to age for five to seven years while in the bottle, and it would taste better. Most likely the tannins will have smoothed out.

Now if it was just an average bottle anyway it might not taste different. Could even be worse. Oxygen thru the cork, sunlight, inconsistent temp., and mishandling could all reduce the quality of the juice.

Answer 4

There may be a slight improvement in taste but it really depends on the type of wine and whether it has been kept correctly.
Some wines are designed to be drunk within a year or so of bottling and i think yours, a shiraz, may be within this category.
If it's a quality vinyard and a wine which does improve after 'laying down' for a few years then it might be a nice bottle. However if it's been stood upright in a kitchen cupboard or in a drinks cupboard then it'll tast like rancid vinegar and you may as well throw it away without even opening it.

There's only a small number of wines which improve with age, these have to be correctly kept too otherwise they'll just go 'off'.
If it a bottle of jacobs creek or something like that then it be revolting now.

Answer 5

First, the wine has to have been stored proprerly (cool temp) or it will be terrible.

Second, it depends on the style of Shiraz. In order to improve well with age, a wine needs to have been made with a deliberate balance of fruit, tannins and acidity. Most wines, especially Shiraz, are made for immediate drinking, weighted heaviliy with fruit and lighter on acidity and tannins.

When a well-made wine ages, the difference you will tatse is the integration of those companents; the fruit, acidity and tannins will each be less distinct, and will come together into a harmonious whole, giving layers of subtle flavors, instead of a quick mouthful of one or two strong flavors.

Answer 6

Certain wines that age throw a sediment or deposit. This is the wine's own natural filtration process (in a nutshell) as such some tannins have been removed (the dryness you experience when tasting a tannic wine) and as such the resulting wine will be "smoother".

A tip I recommend is upon opening the bottle, let the sediment settle (about an hour) and then filter into a glass jug and then drink till your liver's content.

Answer 7

The possibility of aging in bottles slightly depends on grape variety.
Usually it depends on the way the wine was prepared.
I can divide wines it three groups...
Young wines (such as Beaujolais Nouveau) - it prepares in such way that you should drink it in six months or it will "die".
Medium wines - you can drink it in 2-4 years after it was bottled. It taste won't change at this time or will change very slightly. But after 4 years it will die.
Aged wines. Depending on the way it was aged it can live about 10-30 years, then it will be interesting only as antiques, but not as beverage. To prepare such wine usually use special casks, special way of aging (in bottles). Some aged wines are ready to be drank as it were sold. (it can be bottled but being left for aging in the cellar. And only after few years that wine will get to the supermarket.
As for your wine, I can't say anything will it be better in few years later because you don't wrote anything except sort and year.
But many of wines aren't good enough even after a winemaker sold it. It better to age in bottle by yourself.
What will happen with the taste of such a wine after you had aged it? I can't explain it, but when it is not ready you'll feel it (of course if you have enough wine knowledge)...

Answer 8

Shiraz is kind of a spicy, peppery wine. My guess is that it will taste mellower since it has had time to age. If it's a reputed brand, it should still taste pretty good.

Answer 9

I would drink this wine up pretty soon. If it was crappy wine in 2004 it will be crappy wine now. Aging will smooth out some rough edges on reds, but it will not make it better. You can't make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Answer 10

I am sure it will taste much the same as it did in 2004 providing you have stored it correctly.
You do not need to keep it any longer for ageing puposes so I would open it soon and enjoy it.