Ripeness and age: condition against elapsed time

The standard

A tasted ripeness statement names the examined condition of a wine, not its year. Where only the span since the harvest is given, a calculation replaces the examination.

Criteria

• The statement names perceived characteristics, not a span of time
• It comes from a sample of the lot in question
• It distinguishes development from mere duration
• It applies to the individual wine, not to the vintage as a whole

Distinction

Age ≠ ripeness: a wine can be old and unripe, young and coherent. Ripeness ≠ ageing potential: ageing potential describes how long a wine will last, ripeness how it stands at present. A tasted ripeness statement therefore remains bound to the bottle, not to the harvest year.