Bottle Ageing: Process, Not Deadline

The standard

A documented ageing record sets down the conditions under which a wine develops in the bottle: temperature, exclusion of light, and storage position.

Criteria

• The storage conditions are known and constant for the period considered
• Control tastings take place at fixed intervals, not arbitrarily
• The process is treated as ongoing, not concluded on a set date
• Sediment formation is recorded as an accompanying feature, not judged a flaw

Distinction

Bottle ageing ≠ drinking maturity: drinking maturity is a perceived state, bottle ageing the underlying process. Bottle ageing ≠ barrel or tank ageing: barrel or tank ageing takes place with limited oxygen exchange, bottle ageing afterward under near-complete closure. Without a documented ageing record, a claimed bottle ageing remains an assumption.