Questions about Old Vines in Wine
What makes old vines special?
When looking at a wine label you will sometimes see written on it ‘Old Vines’, ‘Vieilles Vignes’ or even ‘alte Reben’ but what does it mean? In theory all three terms (in English, French and German) refer to wines that have been made from grapes grown on long-established vines, however there is no officially recognised definition of how old these vines need to be to be referred to as Old Vine. Typically, it is agreed that vines need to be at least 35 years old and could be over 100 years old but a lack of an objective definition means it is not always a term that can be reliably interpreted.
What makes old vines so good?
I was once told to think of vines as people in terms of their production. For the first 2 or 3 years they are learning to stand on their own feet and not producing any fruit, then for the next 10 or 12 years they start producing more and more fruit, although this fruit tends to produce fairly simple wines. From around 16 years old the wines produced become more complex, whilst still producing high yields, then after roughly 35 years of age the vines produce less fruit, but the quality of these reduced yields gets even more concentrated and potentially more complex year on year. How long they will continue to produce high-quality fruit will vary depending on what the grapes are used for and between varieties, but it is possible, for example, to make great red wines from Carignan vines aged over 120 years old.
Are Old Vines always the best?
Whilst old vines are much sought after in some parts of the wine-making world, they are not ideal for all winemaking. With sparkling wine-producing regions the vineyards will often replant their vines after 35 years, this is because to make a great sparkling wine, such as Champagne or English Sparkling Wine, you don’t want the grapes to be too concentrated as any imperfections or idiosyncrasies in the juice will be accentuated by the long ageing process. For sparkling wine production the sweet spot for vines is in the 16-35 year bracket.
To aid you in your exploration of old vine wines, here are a few examples that we think show how wonderful older vines can be in producing delicious wines.
Name / Producer: Viognier Vieilles Vignes Mont Rocher Region: Languedoc-Roussillon / Price: £11.79
50% aged for 3 months in French oak. A haunting honeysuckle and apricot aroma and rich, almost unctuous palate that is somehow still dry, tangy and refreshing. Food match with pasta and Seafood.
Name / Producer: Butler's Grant Old Vine Riesling Westcott Vineyards Region: Niagara / Price: £14.95
A wine filled with joie de vivre. Bright and zesty with juicy peach, preserved lemon, and ripe apricot. The palate is creamy and soft with a noticeable zing. It's dry but certainly flirts with the idea of sugar with a subtle touch of honeyed sweetness.
Name / Producer: Cotes du Rhone Rouge Vieilles Vignes Domaine de l'Espigouette Region: Rhone / Price: £17.95
A blend of 75% Grenache with the remaining 25% being a mix of Carignan, Syrah, Mourvedre and Cinsault. This is an excellent value, full flavoured Côtes du Rhône with bright red fruit, good weight and some spice and pepper.
Name / Producer: Gnarly Head Old Vine Zinfandel Region: / Price: £25.95
This Zinfandel is a bold wine grown from some of the oldest vines in California. Gnarly Head’s untamed vines produce full-flavored grapes, dense with aromas of blackberry bramble, juicy plum, and toasted oak. This medium-bodied wine boasts a balanced acidity and supple tannins for those who like unique, big wines with a little eclectic edge.