Ripeness plateau: a phase, not a moment

The standard

A documented ripeness plateau rests on repeated tastings of the same wine at intervals. Only the series shows whether a condition holds or merely existed on a single day.

Criteria

• Several samples of the same wine lie apart in time
• The condition recurs instead of appearing once
• The beginning and the end of the phase are observed, not set
• The statement remains correctable as long as the series continues

Distinction

Ripeness plateau ≠ drinking maturity: drinking maturity denotes a condition, the plateau its duration. Ripeness plateau ≠ ageing potential: a wine often remains sound after the phase of integrated expression has passed. A documented ripeness plateau therefore separates soundness from peak.