Wines that age well – and ones to drink young

Inherited tastes in wines, and, for the lucky few, inherited wines, are not necessarily as gratifying as inherited recipes. That’s because, while you can be swept away on a wave of nostalgia by making your mum’s fish pie or chocolate brownies, wines change as they mature. And, given that many people hang on to them for far too long, there’s a fair chance the bottle will be way over the hill by the time you get round to opening it. Still, on the bright side, you may uncover a gem.

You may be surprised to learn that it’s not necessarily reds that show best with age . Whites and sweet wines can also mature well – or not, in the case of white burgundy, which has a well-documented problem with “premox”, or premature oxidation.

Crisp whites and rosés, too, benefit from being drunk young, but both riesling and semillon can age spectacularly well, as can Loire chenin blancs, such as vouvray and montlouis, which often take time to get into their stride. Whether you like the more complex, evolved flavours, however, is another matter, because tastes these days run to fresher, fruitier wines. Older vintages often need appropriate food – particularly classic French or Italian dishes – to show at their best.

If you like the taste of older wines, it’s worth trying to get hold of them when they’re young, from both the point of view of availability and your bank balance – quality wines are obviously much cheaper when they first hit the market than once they have become scarce. Although vintages are less important than they once were, it also makes sense to lay in wines from a good year: 2016, for example, was good in both the Rhône and Bordeaux.

My best advice is to establish what exactly it is that you’ve got stashed away. It’s easy enough to find out online – most merchants give some kind of indication of a “drink by” date, but that will be very much dependent on how the wine has been kept. It’s also worth checking the value of the wine: anything that’s less than £10, say, I’d be inclined to drink up asap, but when it gets to the £30 mark, you might want to invite your wine-loving pals round.

If in doubt, just dive in and open it anyway, though always with a back-up just in case it’s corked or otherwise undrinkable. And treat it gently. Fragile old red burgundy probably won’t benefit from decanting, while other wines may have thrown a deposit and will need to be decanted like a port (if you don’t have a decanter, just use a jug). And don’t overchill those old whites.

Four vintages worth holding on to

Soraie Veneto Cecilia Beretta 2016

£11.95 Corney & Barrow, 14%.

A passito described by the producer as a ‘mini-amarone’. Autumnal, rich, but surprisingly dry. Enjoy with cheese or ragù.

Vasse Felix Filius Chardonnay 2016

£9.95 ND John, £13 Booths, 12.5%.

Classy, creamy chardonnay from Australia’s Margaret River. Drink with your mum’s fish pie.

Weinert Carrascal Corte Clásico Mendoza 2015

£10.95 The Wine Society, 14.5%.

Spicy Argentinian red that, despite its comparative youth, tastes like an old claret. Think roast pheasant or a comforting stew.

Exquisite Collection Marqués de Carrión Rioja Reserva 2015

£7.99 Aldi, 13.5%.

What you want from rioja, at a good price. Smooth, mellow and made for roast lamb.

• For more by Fiona Beckett, go to matchingfoodandwine.com