The PROBLEM with DRINKING WINDOWS

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Drinking Windows: Good or Bad?

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I use this wine key: Forge de Laguiole Ebony
I have used this glass in this Video: Nude Stem Zero Powerful Red Wine
I have tasted the following wines in this Video:

2021 Schloss Johannisberg Gelblack Riesling Trocken, Rheingau, Germany
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/schloss+johannisberg+gelblack+riesling+trocken+rheingau+germany/2021 ?referring_site=KSB

2014 Domaine Frederic Mochel Gewurztraminer, Alsace, France
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/dom+frederick+mochel+gewurz+alsace+france/2014 ?referring_site=KSB

2011 Bodegas Valdemar 'Conde de Valdemar' Crianza, Rioja DOCa, Spain
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/valdemar+conde+de+crianza+doca+rioja+spain/2011 ?referring_site=KSB

2017 Inama Carmenere Piu Veneto Rosso IGT, Italy
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/inama+carmenere+piu+rosso+igp+veneto+italy/2017 ?referring_site=KSB

2015 Bodega Garzon Estate 'Balasto', Maldonado, Uruguay
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/garzon+estate+balasto+maldonado+uruguay/2015 ?referring_site=KSB

2013 Domaine de la Tourade Gigondas Cuvee Font de Aieux, Rhone, France
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/dom+de+la+tourade+cuvee+font+aieux+gigonda+rhone+france/2013 ?referring_site=KSB

2000 Chateau du Tertre, Margaux, France
https://www.wine-searcher.com/find/du+tertre+margaux+medoc+bordeaux+france/2000 ?referring_site=KSB

The 100 Point Scoring System (from www.robertparker.com):
96-100: An extraordinary wine of profound and complex character displaying all the attributes expected of a classic wine of its variety. Wines of this caliber are worth a special effort to find, purchase and consume.
90 - 95: An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines.
80 - 89: A barely above average to very good wine displaying various degrees of finesse and flavor as well as character with no noticeable flaws.
70 - 79: An average wine with little distinction except that it is soundly made. In essence, a straightforward, innocuous wine.
60 - 69: A below-average wine containing noticeable deficiencies, such as excessive acidity and/or tannin, an absence of flavor or possibly dirty aromas or flavors.
50 - 59: A wine deemed to be unacceptable.


Wine is weird: Most beverages either do not go bad over time like spirits or have a best before date like apple juice. Wine, however, hast a best after and AND best before Date.
The periods between these dates are called drinking windows and they are a big mystery to many of you. Most wine publications show drinking windows next to their scores and tasting notes. While the scores are a controversial topic drinking windows are usually just accepted, even though I think they have significant shortcomings and estimates vary a lot
So let’s find out whether drinking windows are useful or useless by putting them to the test by tasting some old wines from my collection!
While ratings and tasting notes are explained on the websites of wine publications like Robert Parker, Vinous, Wine Spectator and Jancis Robinson, it is far more difficult to find out how these publications determine the drinking windows of the wines they rate.
Even the resourceful Oxford Companion does not have an entry discussing the topic of Drinking windows and I had to dig deep into the Wine Spectator Help pages to find this: Based on a taster’s years of experience with this type of wine, the drinking window suggests when the wine is likely to be at its best. It typically covers a range of years or will state “drink now.” Adjust for your preference if you know you like your wines on the younger or older side—aged wines are an acquired taste—or if your personal experience with the producer or vineyard in question differs.
I actually believe that drinking windows play a very important role when it comes to enjoying your wine. The best wine in the world will not bring you joy if it is past its drinking window, slowly turning into vinegar. They only play a role for a small segment of the worldwide production.
I would say the vast majority of wines is not made for aging but should be consumed within the first two years after bottling. While wine does not go bad like fish, I have tasted many wines that were great and had lost their spark after I opened them and wines that could have been worldclass but were too young to truly show how delicious they are. To taste great wines when they are at their peak we need accurate drinking windows.