Ageing Curve: A Course, Not a Climb

The standard

A nonlinear ageing dynamic describes phases rather than a single direction: build-up, plateau and decline follow no fixed rhythm. It turns every single tasting into a snapshot, not a forecast.

Criteria

• The curve has several phases, not just one peak
• A closed phase allows no conclusion about the final state
• The assessment relies on repeated, not single, tastings
• The course remains individual by wine and vintage

Distinction

Ageing curve ≠ drinking window: the drinking window names a span of time, the ageing curve the course before and after it. Ageing curve ≠ linear ageing: a wine does not improve evenly. Without a nonlinear ageing dynamic as a frame, any closed phase looks like a final state.