Cellaring conditions

[James Scarcebrook]

I was wondering what sort of cellaring conditions people use? I myself just store corked bottles on racks and in bins (on their side of course) under the house. The screwcap ones are stored in sealed boxes in my cupboard. Does having a much better cellar just protect the wine or does it improve the longevity of them as well? Will I be OK?

[beef]

I was wondering what sort of cellaring conditions people use? I myself just store corked bottles on racks and in bins (on their side of course) under the house. The screwcap ones are stored in sealed boxes in my cupboard. Does having a much better cellar just protect the wine or does it improve the longevity of them as well? Will I be OK?

Depends on temperature. I have a passive cellar in Brisbane, and my wines age faster (and with fewer rewards) than in other peoples' cellars.

I'm certainly looking forward to purchasing a house with dedicated and air-conditioned cellar space.

Stuart

[TORB]

I myself just store corked bottles on racks

I tend to keep "corked" bottled only until I can return them for replacement.

The biggest problem when storing wine is the amount of daily temperature fluctuation. If your storage area (and the wine) change say 10 degrees every day, then your wine will age very quickly (and not well.)

If the daily fluctuation is low, even if the wine is a bit warm in summer, it is not as much of an issue, unless you are storing wine very long term.

So under the house, the daily fluctuation may only be a few degrees, whilst in a cupboard in the bedroom, it may be a heck of a lot more.

[graham]

14 degrees and 60-75% humidity year round.
Then again I had to spend 10K to do this.

Graham

[GRB]

Passive cellar, mid teens in the winter to low twenties in the summer with daily variation of less than 3 degrees. I like most of my reds at 10 years or less so it if fine for me. Wouldn't keep 40 year wines like that by choice. I have however had some 30 yo penfolds wines from a similar cellar that have been outstanding.

Glen

[Craig(NZ)]

I have a bosch wine cooler which holds about 100 wines where i store the cream of the cellar, and the rest is just in a wardbrode passive. To be honest in Auckland for Cabernet based reds, merlot and shiraz the passive cellar is fine, ive had no problems.

I have no desire to retard development to a stage that i cant drink the stuff till im dribbling down my front in a rest home.

I think for Pinot and Champagne perhaps the fridge is useful

However over the sea in the warm climes of the australian sandpit it may be a different story

[Ian S]

I have no desire to retard development to a stage that i cant drink the stuff till im dribbling down my front in a rest home.

You don't have to wait to do that Craig - dribble away

[beef]

OK, let's do a comparison...

My wine cellar is in Brisbane. It is passive, and slightly underground. I haven't taken measurements, but I'd suggest that daily temperature variation is minimal (that's the case for Brisbane in general, not just in this cellar). But yearly variation is significant (10 degrees at least).

I bought some Yaldara The Farms Shiraz 2002 on or close to release. Bought on the recommendations of Ric and Brian. Lovely wine. I drank my last over 6 months ago, however, and it was on the way down. It had a lovely complexity with secondary characteristics, but was starting to get quite disjointed, with the alcohol and acid poking out at odd angles like a the extremities of a dancing white man.

Ric, Brian, can you comment on the progress of this wine, as stored in your cellars?

Thanks,

Stuart

[Red Bigot]

OK, let's do a comparison...

My wine cellar is in Brisbane. It is passive, and slightly underground. I haven't taken measurements, but I'd suggest that daily temperature variation is minimal (that's the case for Brisbane in general, not just in this cellar). But yearly variation is significant (10 degrees at least).

I bought some Yaldara The Farms Shiraz 2002 on or close to release. Bought on the recommendations of Ric and Brian. Lovely wine. I drank my last over 6 months ago, however, and it was on the way down. It had a lovely complexity with secondary characteristics, but was starting to get quite disjointed, with the alcohol and acid poking out at odd angles like a the extremities of a dancing white man.

Ric, Brian, can you comment on the progress of this wine, as stored in your cellars?

Thanks,

Stuart

I haven't tried one for nearly 12 months, have a few left marked to drink this year or next, it was never going to be a 10 year wine (despite what it says on the back label), but should still be holding now on the plateau rather than improving. I'll try one tonight and report back.

[Red Bigot]

Yaldara The Farms Barossa Shiraz 2002 Purchased $25 April 2005, cellared at (annual) 15-17C, daily <1C. Alcohol 14.9%

Colour is still quite crimson, no bricking evident.

Nose is starting to show some secondary character, the vibrant ripe fruit of a couple of years ago is being subsumed into the more earthy secondary and oak aromas, but it's definitely not lost the battle yet.

Palate is quite rich and balanced, nice complexity, soft tannins, still some fresh fruit over the secondary/earthy characters. Finish is ever so slightly warm (I'm not bothered by high alcohol reds), but acid is in balance, clean and fresh.

This won't get any better from here unless you like more mature flavours a lot, but should hold OK for a year or two, I'm enjoying this bottle.

Just noticed it's on special @ $89pb here: http://www.tanundacellars.com.au/show_wine.php?id=816

Stuart, I don't think this necessarily proves cellaring differences, given the vagaries of cork, this had a very good cork with very little seepage past the base.