How long will sweet wine last opened?

Hi everyone- I like a nice dessert wine from time to time, but I seldom open them because I almost always have leftovers (even with 375s) that I don’t want to go bad in the fridge. I’ve heard that some sweet wines will last a long time open, others not so much. I’d love it if you could weigh in on how long you think the following would last once opened;

Sauternes
Tawny Port- I’ve heard pretty much forever
Vintage Port- I’ve heard must be drunk in one night
Sweet Riesling like BA and TBA
Vin Doux Naturel like Banyuls, Rivesaltes, Maury
Madeira- I’ve heard forever
Sherry (Oloroso and PX)
Tokaji
Anything else!

Are old dessert wines more fragile than young ones?

Thanks!

Tawny Port- I’ve heard pretty much forever

I don’t know how long but it does hold up well. I have ordered Tawny by the glass at many a bar or restaurant where my guess would be that they don’t sell much and never had a glass that was obviously OTH. So much that it became my safe bet in sketchy places.

1 Like

Generally speaking, the more acid and sugar a wine has, the better it will hold up. Storage makes a difference too. If you keep it cold and/or reduce the headspace in the bottle (for example, by transferring wine to a 375ml bottle) it will keep longer.

I recently tossed a Auslese Riesling in my fridge because it was too sweet…then forgot about it. It was even better than when I tried it months earlier.

  • 2006 A.J. Adam Hofberg Riesling Auslese - Germany, Mosel Saar Ruwer (2/6/2021)
    Golden yellow colored with aromas of yellow fruits and botrytis that carries over to the palate. Thick and sweet, the wine shows young and will improve when the sweetness recedes – better in 5 years, and better still in 10 years. Seems more enjoyable and balanced on day 4, when the acidity is more prominent. 88 points

I corked the last third of a bottle and threw it in the refrigerator and pulled it out 3.5 months later. Remarkably, the wine has improved, with the sweetness and intensity dialed back and perhaps a touch more complexity. It’s virtually indestructible. 91 points. (90 pts.)

In my experience (which is a lot less than a lot of others on here):

  • Tawny Port: 3 months

  • Vintage Port: depends on the age, but @ 30 years old, I’ve had them improve over 2 or 3 days and last maybe about a week; I don’t drink much younger vintage Port, but I’ve had it last a week and seemed to still be going strong

  • BA and TBA Riesling: If they’re young, a couple of weeks (probably longer, I haven’t tried yet); I’ve had GKA, BA, and TBA From the 70s that held together for a few days. Honestly, even my very young Spatlesen will last a week once opened, so I imagine the TBA will last a very long time.

  • PX: I’ve had it opened for 2 weeks with no problem, and imagine it can go for much longer

In all of these instance, I put the bottle in the fridge after opening. I also think it depends on how much is left in the bottle (e.g., half a glass left in a 750ml shouldn’t last as long as a bottle that’s only has a half glass taken out of it)

I’ve held a 375mL of Sauternes in the fridge for a month and it was still hitting all the right notes. It was a 15 year old Rieussec for what it’s worth.

We drink vintage port over a two week period sometimes. It stays pretty solid.

I’ve Madeira opened for several years in my cellar. Still as good as when opened.
Tawny Ports, maybe a couple of weeks. Vin Doux Naturel similar.
Old Vintage Ports a few days. Younger ones a week.
Sauternes, BA, TBA’s 3-5 days.
PX weeks, good Oloroso a couple of weeks.
I drink a lot of dessert wines. Keep them in the fridge recorked, except for Madeira which I keep upright in the cellar.

I lost a half bottle of 2001 Rieussec in the back of the fridge for several months and I swear it got better.

I’d had auslese, BA, and eiswein that has been open in the fridge for a month and still kicking butt. I’m sure TBA would hold too.

Currently have an opened 375ml bottle of ‘98 d’Yquem in the fridge from two weeks ago. Last week it wasn’t noticeably different than the night we opened it (1 week old). Half a glass left, which I’ll drink this weekend. Not really expecting much change.

Thanks everyone- this is a big relief. Guess its time to start popping corks and hitting the gym!

If Ashish or Tran are houseguests then not very long.

Had plenty of Rieslings or desert wine in the fridge for weeks with little to no degradation. Sometimes they actually get better.

Duplicate

2 Likes

Aren’t PX sherries fully oxidized upon bottling? I pretty much only buy Toro Albala (Solera protocol) with some rare exceptions here and there and it can stay open and without change for years. Had one bottle open for almost 3 years, kind of forgot about it, drank like on Day 1. Had some other more common and available ones, actually had one today with a cigar, bottle opened 17 months ago?, drinks absolutely fine. Oxford 1970, I think bought it at Total Wine? Not vintage, as Toro Albala are, and of course not as complex and nuanced, but pretty good, nonetheless, for a bottle open for so long. So, years and who knows for how long.

From my note in 2018: The 1997 La Tour Blanche 750ml bottle, drinking the balance of this bottle after 20+ days and it is still drinking very well and full of favour.

A couple of hours.

3 Likes

Aren’t PX sherries fully oxidized upon bottling? I pretty much only buy Toro Albala (Solera protocol) with some rare exceptions here and there and it can stay open and without change for years. Had one bottle open for almost 3 years, kind of forgot about it, drank like on Day 1. Had some other more common and available ones, actually had one today with a cigar, bottle opened 17 months ago?, drinks absolutely fine. Oxford 1970, I think bought it at Total Wine? Not vintage, as Toro Albala are, and of course not as complex and nuanced, but pretty good, nonetheless, for a bottle open for so long. So, years and who knows for how long.

I also like the Valdespino versions.
In Montilla, they make dry wines from it.
I think with prolonged opening they lose some aroma.

I think this is sensible counsel. Decant into smaller bottles if possible, refrigerate for most types. If one is having a small glass in the evenings, it seems unlikely that these would last a week in normal households.

Also send dessert wines home with guests - now that everyone is entertaining more often - as most non wine geeks simply don’t have taste those as much. After I had some LBV with a friend over a weekend, I sent the rest home with them. Saves fridge space, and means there is more room to buy more swill :slight_smile: