Greg,
You read my post as I hoped it would be read. Thanks. ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Even if “peak” was definable, forecasting it when a wine is young is something of a shot in the dark. And storage conditions will influence longevity.
But as an OPN drinker, it often struck me how short the peak drinking windows were that critics assigned to Oregon Pinot back in the 90’s, And even though I only started drinking the stuff in the mid-90’s, I knew those were way off. Basically, one would rarely see a critic give a window beyond 10 years. But I still don’t see the quality 99’s, for instance, going over the hill. With structure, balance, and good storage, there’s no reason for these wines to fade in 10 years.
(On the other hand, I will admit to being one of those that thought the 2000’s were past peak upon release, and I tried to finish all of mine by about 2005 - so clearly it’s not definable.)
An aside, while I might be interested in wine descriptions (and even quality evaluations) of critics or other wine drinkers, I tend to take the opinion of the winemaker as to how long a wine will last.
While I try to never drink a bottle from my own cellar thats past peak, I have held onto a few bottles of my favorites for a special day or because I just can’t bear to open my last one, only to have it go beyond peak. While drinking them has been for the most part disappointing (knowing that its been better in the past) its still an enlightening experience each time. I do think you learn a bit more about the wine.