Is there a max shelf life for champagnes? Assuming it’s unopened and stored in a 13C temp controlled wine fridge or cellar. Also, should champagnes be stored at a lower temp than other wines?
Re: max shelf life, it’s really like any other wine: it depends. Typically vintage releases wil age better/longer than non-vintage or multi-vintage. Style/winemaking also come into play of course. Top vintage cuvées can last for a long, long time (e.g. Krug, DP and so on).
Re: storage, it’s the same as other wines with the extra requirement of darkness. Champagnes are often considered as more sensitive to temperature shocks/high temperatures than most other wines.
what Guillaume said–some of the great ones last decades. There are some great archived threads by Ray Tuppatsch about champagnes as old as 100 years that were still wonderful–though different. Don’t expect the same amount of bubbles. The great year 1996, for example, hasn’t peaked yet for Dom, Salon, Krug, Cristal or Clos des Goisses.
alan