Now and again, you see the phrases ‘outdated vines’ in your wine labels, however what does it imply? Is the wine any higher? And why the upper value? We did just a little experiment to seek out out extra.
Have you ever ever regarded alongside the rows of bottles within the wine store and questioned what all of the hype is about ‘outdated vines’?
For a very long time, Christina and I assumed it was simply advertising—or perhaps a little bit of hubris from the vineyard.
And truthful sufficient.
Australia has among the oldest grapevines on the planet.
Again within the 1800s, a plague of aphid-like phylloxera bugs swept by Europe, killing the roots of just about all ‘noble selection’ grapevines.
Due to its isolation and strict quarantine guidelines, Australia remained all however untouched by this infestation, and vineyards right here—particularly in locations just like the Barossa Valley—have the oldest Shiraz and Cabernet vines on the planet.
Not a nasty USP for the entrepreneurs. However what does that imply for us, the drinkers?
Try our different wine assessment tales right here!
The professionals and cons of outdated vines
Professional: From a grower’s perspective, outdated vines are nice as a result of they run so deep (as much as six metres!) that they’re much less weak to issues like drought, floods and frost.
Con: For a harvester, they’re a nightmare as a result of they’re outdated vegetation and subsequently fairly delicate; it’s a must to hand-pick the grapes.
Professional & Con From a winemaker’s perspective, there’s good and unhealthy in outdated vines. They supply wonderful consistency classic to classic due to their deep roots, however they don’t quit as a lot as youthful vines. Yields step by step lower as years go by, and fewer fruit means much less wine to promote.
Most Importantly However for us ‘finish customers’, old-vine wine and all the additional effort it takes to make it ought to solely be a constructive.
Due to the low yield of outdated vines, the depth of flavour will increase inside every grape. It’s thought that each one the plant’s vitality going right into a small quantity of fruit actually amps issues up.
Additionally, due to the longer root programs and since the vines have been rising in the identical soils for many years and even centuries, wine buffs counsel the terroir of the wine is extra clearly displayed.
These vines have had a number of time to develop a deep reference to the soil and the encompassing surroundings. This enables them to precise the distinctive terroir of their winery in a manner that youthful vines merely can’t match.
Depth, complexity, construction, historical past—these are all issues we search for in nice wine, but in addition wine that may age effectively if you cellar it.
Let’s put it to the take a look at—Chateau Tanunda’s Outdated Vine Expressions Vary
To take a look at the distinction between young and old Shiraz and Cabernet grapes, we set two of Chateau Tanunda’s ranges towards one another.
Their Outdated Vine Expressions Vary, which makes use of grapes from vines which can be not less than 50 years outdated, versus the nonetheless venerable however a lot youthful Grand Barossa line.
To provide you perspective, vines will begin producing fruit in about three years and are thought-about ‘grownup’ by about age seven. Grapevines attain maturity after 12-15 years and obtain ‘outdated vine’ standing after 35.
So 50’s fairly outdated.
Shiraz
Each the younger Grand Barossa and the Outdated Vine Expressions Shiraz from Chateau Tanunda are nice examples of the area’s most well-known selection.
Each show the attribute massive berry, darkish fruit and chocolate characters, and each have that luxuriant texture and size. However what the Outdated Vine Shiraz exhibits is one thing just a little bit additional.
Higher construction and indicators of balanced acidity, extra depth within the flavours and a resonant savoury advanced that holds these fruit notes up greater. Nonetheless, there’s additionally an additional dimension to this wine.
Cabernet Sauvignon
As with the Shiraz, each of those Chateau Tanunda Cabernets have all the enduring stamps of the variability and area.
Whereas the youthful vines for the Grand Barossa give this wine loads of blackberry and blackcurrant notes and nice tannins, together with nice vanilla from time spent on oak, the Outdated Vine model is a special story.
In addition to the lifted berry notes you’d count on, this wine has spice, darkish chocolate and agency, structured tannins that elevate it past the conventional. There’s a softness and class to this wine—a subtlety and nuance that’s exhausting to pin down.
So is shopping for ‘outdated vine’ wine actually price it?
Answering this query isn’t a easy sure or no, simply as one thing like ‘are outdated vine wines higher than younger vine wines?’ Isn’t a simple query. In spite of everything, utilizing old-vine grapes doesn’t assure one of the best wine; it nonetheless has to have good high quality fruit and nice method on the coronary heart of it.
I suppose whether or not you put money into outdated vine actually depends upon what you need from a wine. On one hand, the Grand Barossa wines listed below are very good high quality—particularly for his or her $25 value level.
Nonetheless, if you need wine that has that additional one thing, that difficult-to-place high quality that outdated vine wine brings, the additional $55 spend is totally price it. These wines will hold enhancing within the cellar for a few years too.
You say ‘outdated vines’ however how outdated are we speaking?
In recent times, the Barossa Valley wine area has instituted the Barossa Outdated Vine Constitution—the one certainly one of its variety—to categorise age teams of vines:
– Barossa Outdated Vine: ? 35 years outdated
– Barossa Survivor Vine: ? 70 years outdated
– Barossa Centenarian Vine: ? 100 years outdated
– Barossa Ancestor Vine: ? 125 years outdated
And there are different wine areas world wide which have outdated vines; some which can be older than ours.
Chile and Cyprus had been unaffected by the phylloxera plague, and components of Portugal, Germany and islands in Greece additionally dodged the bullet.
Lodi in California and Languedoc in France nonetheless have outdated vines too, however the oldest grape-producing vine is, surprisingly, in Slovenia. Often known as ‘Stara Trta’ (creatively ‘Outdated Vine’) this historic creature grows throughout the wall of a home in Maribor and is an astonishing 400 years outdated.
It nonetheless produces a small quantity of Žametovka grapes every year, that are made right into a wine that sounds pretty unappealing. However the vine itself is within the Guinness Guide of World Data.
