From time to time, you see the phrases ‘old vines’ in your wine labels, however what does it imply? Is the wine any higher? And why the upper worth? We did just a little experiment to search out out extra.
Have you ever appeared alongside the rows of bottles within the wine store and questioned what all of the hype is about ‘old vines’?
For a very long time, Christina and I believed it was simply advertising—or possibly a little bit of hubris from the vineyard.
And honest sufficient.
Australia has a few of the oldest grapevines on the earth.
Back within the 1800s, a plague of aphid-like phylloxera bugs swept by Europe, killing the roots of just about all ‘noble variety’ grapevines.
Thanks 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 earth.
Not a nasty USP for the entrepreneurs. But what does that imply for us, the drinkers?
Check out our different wine evaluate tales right here!
The execs and cons of outdated vines
Pro: From a grower’s perspective, outdated vines are nice as a result of they run so deep (as much as six metres!)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 susceptible to issues like drought, floods and frost.
Con: For a harvester, they’re a nightmare as a result of they’re outdated crops and subsequently fairly delicate; it’s a must to hand-pick the grapes.
Pro & Con From a winemaker’s perspective, there’s good and unhealthy in outdated vines. They present superb consistency classic to classic due to their deep roots, however they don’t quit as a lot as youthful vines. Yields progressively lower as years go by, and fewer fruit means much less wine to promote.
Most Importantly But for us ‘end users’, old-vine wine and all the additional effort it takes to make it ought to solely be a constructive.
Because of the low yield of outdated vines, the depth of flavour will increase inside every grape. It’s thought that every one the plant’s power going right into a small quantity of fruit actually amps issues up.
Also, 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 recommend 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 encircling atmosphere. This permits them to precise the distinctive terroir of their winery in a approach that youthful vines merely can’t match.
Intensity, complexity, construction, historical past—these are all issues we search for in nice wine, but additionally wine that can age nicely once you cellar it.
Let’s put it to the check—Chateau Tanunda’s Old Vine Expressions Range
To take a look at the distinction between young and old Shiraz and Cabernet grapes, we set two of Chateau Tanunda’s ranges in opposition to one another.
Their Old Vine Expressions Range, which makes use of grapes from vines which can be no less than 50 years outdated, versus the nonetheless venerable however a lot youthful Grand Barossa line.
To offer you perspective, vines will begin producing fruit in about three years and are thought of ‘adult’ by about age seven. Grapevines attain maturity after 12-15 years and obtain ‘old vine’ standing after 35.
So 50’s fairly outdated.
Shiraz
Both the younger Grand Barossa and the Old Vine Expressions Shiraz from Chateau Tanunda are nice examples of the area’s most well-known selection.
Both show the attribute massive berry, darkish fruit and chocolate characters, and each have that luxuriant texture and size. But what the Old Vine Shiraz exhibits is one thing just a little bit further.
Better construction and indicators of balanced acidity, extra depth within the flavours and a resonant savoury advanced that holds these fruit notes up increased. However, 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 range and area.
While the youthful vines for the Grand Barossa give this wine loads of blackberry and blackcurrant notes and advantageous tannins, together with advantageous vanilla from time spent on oak, the Old Vine model is a distinct story.
As nicely because 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 onerous to pin down.
So is shopping for ‘old vine’ wine actually value it?
Answering this query isn’t a easy sure or no, simply as one thing like ‘are old vine wines better than young vine wines?’ Isn’t a simple query. After all, utilizing old-vine grapes doesn’t assure the most effective wine; it nonetheless has to have good high quality fruit and nice approach on the coronary heart of it.
I suppose whether or not you put money into outdated vine actually will depend on 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 worth level.
However, if you would like wine that has that further one thing, that difficult-to-place high quality that outdated vine wine brings, the additional $55 spend is completely value it. These wines will hold bettering within the cellar for a few years too.
You say ‘old vines’ however how outdated are we speaking?
In current years, the Barossa Valley wine area has instituted the Barossa Old Vine Charter—the one considered one of its form—to categorise age teams of vines:
– Barossa Old 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 around the globe which have outdated vines; some which can be older than ours.
Chile and Cyprus had been unaffected by the phylloxera plague, and elements 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. Known as ‘Stara Trta’ (creatively ‘Old Vine’) this historical 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. But the vine itself is within the Guinness Book of World Records.