One of my “ah-ha” moments in wine occurred when I had my first sip of a beautiful, mature wine.  It was a (then) 15-year-old Viña Bosconia from the venerable Lopez de Heredia winery in Rioja, Spain.  I remember a visible smile coming across my face as the wine passed my lips and coated my palate.  It was dusty, rustic, and lively all at once.  Its cherry core was complemented by suggestions of worn leather, pipe tobacco, and earth, with a still zippy acidity that kept the wine alive and fresh.  At that moment I finally got it--I had witnessed the alchemy of time and understood why people waxed poetically about mature wines.

As wine ages, the best examples take on new, exciting flavors as oxygen is allowed to slowly seep in past the cork and chemistry takes effect on the components in the bottle.  With time, once-harsh tannins mellow, and fruity primary characteristics give way to the wonderful world of tertiary notes–fresh tilled earth, tobacco, leather, and more.  When you catch a wine in its peak drinking window–that “Goldilocks” point in time where primary fruit character and savory tertiary ones are resonating in harmony–it can be a truly magical experience.

But stepping into the world of mature wine can seem like a daunting venture.  Although talking about aged wines might conjure images of monocle-clad men in suits pouring from bottles that cost as much as a mortgage payment, the reality is that anyone can enjoy great, mature wines on even modest budgets.  Here are a few ways to do this.

Wines Aged Prior to Release

Many wines are matured to some extent prior to release.  Sometimes this is done at the discretion of the winery, and sometimes it is required by local regulations.  While no local laws dictate aging requirements in Napa, it is not uncommon to see premium Napa Cabernets aged for at least a couple of years prior to release.  On the other hand, regions like Chianti Classico have strict minimum aging requirements.  Chianti Classico Normale must be aged for 12 months, Chianti Classico Riserva for 24 months, and Chianti Classico Gran Selezione for 30 months.  

Some regions require wines to be aged even longer before release.  Rioja represents a classic example of this. In Rioja, Crianza wines must be aged for one year, Reservas for three years, and Gran Reservas for four years.  However, some wineries elect to go far beyond these minimum requirements.

Lopez de Heredia is famous for this practice.  The current release of their entry-level Crianza, the Viña Cubillo, is a 2015 vintage and is strikingly affordable at $20-$30.  Their flagship Viña Tondonia is from 2011 and is available for $50-$60.  La Rioja Alta, another famed winery of the region, has current releases that include their 2015 Viña Ardanza Reserva for $35-$45, and their 2011 Gran Reserva 904, which can be found for $60-$70.  Similarly, Bodegas Faustino’s current releases include their 2011 Gran Reserva, which can be found for $30-$40.  While all these wines will continue to age gracefully over the coming years (or even decades), they are all drinking phenomenally well right now and show wonderful characteristics of age.  Better yet, these wines are all widely distributed and can be found at many local wine shops.

Library Releases

Another option for seeking out aged wines is looking for library releases.  Many wineries will hold back a portion of their current-release wines and then sell them at a later date, as “library releases.”  While these wines are often not distributed, you can sometimes find them by visiting a winery’s website.  The benefit of buying library releases is that you are buying a wine with perfect provenance that has been stored in ideal conditions before being sold.  The downside to this is that you’re likely to be paying a premium for these wines by comparison to when they were first offered for sale, and some producers only offer library releases to wine club members.

As an example, Heitz Cellars, one of Napa’s iconic wineries, has a “Library Selection” section on their website where you can find back vintages of their wines, including a 2010 Martha’s Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon for $457 and a 2001 Trailside Vineyard for $382.  Frog’s Leap, another Napa staple, has a wide selection of library release wines as well, including their 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon for $175, and a 1998 Merlot for $125.  Many other wineries have similar offerings, and with a bit of searching you can even find some pretty good deals, like Renaissance Winery in California, which has a large selection of back vintages at lower price points, including their 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Premier Cuvee for $60 and 2002 Syrah for $45.  While the prices for library releases skew higher, you can rest assured that you are getting an aged example of a wine that the winery is proud to sell.

Auctions

Wine auctions are where you will find the widest selection of mature wines, and often at the best prices.  With the current array of online auction houses, it is possible to find aged wines at any price point and to buy in quantities as low as a single bottle.  K&L Wines, WineBid, and Brentwood Wine Auctions all offer fantastic selections of wines at auction from nearly every major wine region in the world.  Yes, you can find exceedingly rare wines like decades-old Domaine de la Romanée-Conti for thousands of dollars, but you can also find countless other wines at much more affordable prices, including aged Napa Cabernets, classed growth Bordeaux, Barolos, and more–all for under $100.

The benefits to buying wines at auction are the breadth of selection and lower prices.  The downside is that bottle condition and provenance can vary.  Unlike library releases purchased directly from a winery, when buying at auction, you’re purchasing a wine that is being resold, and the provenance of the wine and its storage conditions can be more questionable.  For that reason, it is crucial to consider all the information that the auction house provides about the wine, such as:  Where is the fill level on the bottle?  Are there signs of seepage from the bottle?   How was it purportedly stored?  Despite these risks, there are great deals to be had at auction if you’re willing to look for them.

To the uninitiated, the world of mature wines might seem elusive, reserved for insiders with deep pockets. In reality, it is a journey worth embarking on, regardless of your budget and where you are in your personal wine journey.  Aged wine can be a wondrous thing, adding a depth and complexity that only time can bring about, and anyone can find these wines without breaking the bank if they know where to look.