Is aging wine worth it?

I recently found a newspaper article presenting the merits of aging wine. It questioned whether the unrefined palate can appreciate the taste and also whether it matters that a bottle to be aged has a cork or a screw-cap. This comes at a time when my father, upon his 70th birthday, decided to open his 1974 bottle of Grand Cru Classe from Saint-Émilion in Bordeaux. While my dad must be given credit for keeping a bottle lying around for 36 years - we initially thought it may have been preferable had it been opened 30 odd years ago instead! We also wished it had a screw cap as the cork appeared to show signs of taint when removed. While the wine itself wasn’t tainted it did impart a flat aftertaste which, as I understand it, is a sign of over development. Dad didn’t mind the taste but I couldn’t help feel a little disappointed for him having invested so much time and consideration keeping the bottle for so long.

The beauty of this story for me, however, wasn’t about the taste but rather the fact that after all these years Chateau Dassault hasn’t changed it’s label - it’s very much the same as it appeared in 1974. From a graphic designers point of view, I find that quite remarkable and a sign of a successful packaging campaign... or just a very lazy vineyard marketing-manager, one or the other. Check it out, Dad’s bottle on the left, Chateau Dassault’s 2007 vintage on the right.



If anyone know’s where I can pick up the 2007 vintage, I’d love to give it a try.
As a segway from this story, I suspect we’ll be considering the opposite on Friday night, when I’m hoping Michael will tempt us with his latest case-offering all the way from Ebay.