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last updated 17 Sep 2023

Lifecycle:
Dates are for Lewelling Vineyards 2020 Cabernet Sauvignon

See: How Red Wine is Made Step by Step | Wine Folly
Aging in the bottle:
As a beverage, wine is second only to coffee in terms of chemical intricacy. There are a lot of complex chemical changes that occur in a wine as it ages, involving phenols, alcohol, esters and other volatile compounds, says the wine writer and author Peter Liem.

Whether a wine is at its best when its young, old, or somewhere in between is often very much a matter of personal preference. But if you do appreciate the character and complexity of mature wine, the only way to achieve that is through time.

However the vast majority of wines are meant to be drunk right away, say Gaiter and Brecher.
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Only a small percentage of fine wines on the market benefit from long-term aging. Most wines are best enjoyed within a few years of release. Le Connoisseu

When it comes to aging, red wines are quite flexible. Certain types can be aged for just three to five years, while others can remain in a cellar for decades. Cellar Raiders
Aging yourself, a shorter period 10 years, maybe, or even five can be long enough to result in a profound change. Some wine thinkers refer to this as resting a wine, giving it a few years to develop, as opposed to decades.

Experts vary on precise numbers, but typically state that only 5–10% of wine improves after 1 year, and only 1% improves after 5–10 years.

Kevin Zraly - Windows on the World Complete Wine Course: 35th Edition, 2020
"Red wines from California age well. Zinfandels and Cabernet Sauvignons from the best wineries in great vintages need a minimum of five years of aging before you drink them, and they'll improve over the following ten."

Lewelling Vineyards started by my Great-Great-Great Grandfather, John Lewelling in 1864 and operated by 4th cousins in St. Helena, says of their highly rated Cabernet Sauvignon, "We recommend checking in with the wine at 5-10 years from the vintage date, and we expect it to age well to 20 years and beyond."

There are a lot of complex chemical changes that occur in a wine as it ages, involving phenols, alcohol, esters and other volatile compounds, says the wine writer and author Peter Liem.


Scientists who study how wine ages (yes, it’s a thing) talk about one important part of this process as “polymerization,” a kind of chemical reaction in which tannins bind together, falling to the bottom of the bottle. This results in less astringency and a mellowing quality. Oxygen plays a role as well: The right amount of oxygen, which comes into a bottle over time through. Eater.com
Wine aging research at UCDavis's renowned Department of Viticulture and Enology

Links:
You Should Absolutely Age Your Own Wine. Heres How to Do It | Eater.com
Aging of wine | Wikipedia
The Best Wine Aging Temperature | CostalWineTrail
Wine aging research at UCDavis's renowned Department of Viticulture and Enology