How can you tell that a red wine will improve with age?

Empirically I am coming to the conclusion that the longer a red wine takes to open up after uncorking, the better will evolve by keeping it in the cellar. Experts talk about structure (alcohol/tannin/acid balance) but this seems quite subjective. And, of course some just go with the wine's reputation to age well, but this can vary from vintage to vintage. Do you have other ways of assesing a wine's potential to age?|||First thing would be the type of wine it is. Rioja (Tempranillo), Mourvedre, Nebbiolo and some Cabernet Sauvignons for example are a few of the types of wine that are typically meant to be aged. They're simply too tannic when young to enjoy. They need age in the bottle to temper than and allow the flavors to meld. These wines may also need to be decanted even after aging (but definitely if drinking them a bit young). You may need to let them sit in the decanter for up to 3-4 hours before serving them.





On the other hand most Grenaches, Merlots, Malbecs, Shiraz/Syrahs, Zinfandels can be drunk young though this does not necessarily apply to the more expensive wines of these varietals.





That brings me to the last point - expense. Most wines under $15 are not meant to be aged. They are made to be drunk within a year of purchase and doing otherwise will not just be a waste of time but may actually end up making the wine taste worse. On the other hand, most reds over the $25 range will improve with age. The grey area is the $15-25 range. These are just general rules but are good rules of thumb.





Lastly, if you purchase wine at a store that specializes in it (not at the grocery store for instance) then the staff there will of great help to you when it comes to this. Best of luck and remember "en vino veritas" (in wine there is truth).|||taste it is the best test! lol|||Here is a diagram that gives you a visual idea of what the above poster was talking about. It's a helpful reference.





Follow the link.