For some, red wine from Bordeaux (a small region around the Gironde and Dordogne rivers in Southwestern France) is the quintessential age-worthy choice. And for good reason – well made Bordeaux ages beautifully. Almost any Bordeaux, no matter how cheap or expensive, will benefit from a few years of bottle age. Which Bordeaux have the stuff to go the distance – say 20 years or more – is a more difficult question. The answer has to do with a wine’s vintage and producer. Thanks to differing weather conditions, some years are more likely to create marathon wines than others. Most agree that in the past decade, the Bordeaux vintages with the greatest and broadest aging potential are 2000 and 2005. Well made wines from both those years can be expected to possess more interesting and deeper flavors in 2025 or 2030 than they have now.
White Wine