compared to the 750s?
Thanks.
Yes. And they are a nice size for 2 or 4 people. I still have some 77 Grahams in 375 that are still showing well.
Spoke with Christian Seely about this and his response was that 375s age less convincingly. It’s annoying - it would be great if they aged as well. There are two technical issues. Volume to ox trans would suggest that they age faster. But if the neck bore is thinner, then the OTR could be much lower. I had a 1955 Bordeaux from half last month that was pristine. So it’s an open question.
The 1992 Taylor in 1/2 bottles is aging very slowly.
I guess the best answer is yes some are capable of aging well.
Of course, like 1/2 bottles of dry wine that is very dependent on the usual factors (Storage, producer, vintage, etc). I’ve had some older VP and LBV’s from 1/2 bottles that were really good and belied their age given the smaller format. And I’ve had some that were way over the hill as well.
Like dry wine they generally age faster than larger formats. That said, the standard disclaimer should apply…like wine there is no scientific study I am aware of to definitively state that. Just the usual empirical evidence.
I have only one had experience with an aged 375 ml bottle Vintage Port. Last year, a lone single bottle of 1988 Graham’s Quinta de Malvedos Vintage Port showed up at the Summerhill LCBO. It went untouched for weeks at the bargain price of $24 while the other VIntage Ports around it all got snapped up. Customers probably saw it next to the $139 Quinto de Noval and figured the little bottle was old and cheap, how good could it be?
Well, I finally did and it turned out to be the fourth best Vintage Port I have ever tasted in my young Berserkerdom, beaten only by the far superior 1977 Graham’s, 1983 Warre’s, and 1985 Dow’s.
Yes, they were much better but damn if the little half-bottle of 88 Malvedos wasn’t awful close! It had the classic lighter color, silky texture, black cherry and dried fruit flavor of a well aged Port as the heavy tannins had all receded into sediment which I had filtered out.
This one experience answers your question for me – they can definitely age well. The ignorance of the general population of Ontario scores one in my favor. Again.
In 2012, I opened my oldest 1/2 bottle of Vintage Port, a 1955 Cockburn’s, which is typically a nice but not amazing VP when in 750. This was from a pristine 375 ml bottling by London Importer, O. W. Loeb & Co., and was incredible and ready to drink but in no way nearly as mature as its nearly 60 years of age. It showed beautifully and I can only say, that I wish I had many more of these oldies in halves.
I agree with Andy, that the jury is still out on the aging curve of 375 vs. 750 … even though common sense would say that the smaller bottle and volume would tend to age faster. As Andy said, there is not one conclusive study that proves this issue either way.
Does any wine age well in 375’s? I always thought magnums were preferred because of the air/wine ratio?
depends on the OTR of the closure, and if there’s a narrower neck bore, the cork may show less OTR