Purchasing fine wine - quality, condition, age and rarity

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"We want the finest wines available to humanity. We want them here, and we want them now."
Withnail and I, 1987

The list of the world's finest wines is constantly changing. Every year new vintages pop up, with wines from the New World becoming increasingly sought after, but nothing can really shake the finest Bordeaux wines from the top spot.

Châteaux such as Lafite, Mouton-Rothschild, Margaux and Latour to name but a few have been producing quality wine for centuries. These Premier Crus (First Growth) wines were named by Napoleon III in 1855 as the most expensive wines at the time and, although cost is not necessarily an indicator of quality, they remain at the top of list of fine wines today.

There are a number of factors determining whether or not a wine is fine.

Quality - as with the Bordeaux châteaux above, reputation is built up over time, with outstanding performance expected year after year from the best vineyards.

Condition - If you have got your hands on a bottle of 1961 Château Margaux, you must protect it from high temperatures in order to keep it in optimum condition. A high quality wine won't be worth anything if it is not stored correctly (click here for more about wine storage). The value of your wine is entirely dependant on its condition and provenance.

Age - fine wines from the best vintages (eg, 1990, 1986, and 1961) will keep for up to 40 - 50 years. They become drinkable after about 5 - 7 years of ageing, but most wine experts won't crack open a bottle until it is 12 - 18 years old and in optimum drinking condition. Good wines continue to improve until they suddenly go over the hill, so you have to get the timing just right if you want to get the most out of your fine wine.

Rarity - the top wine-producing châteaux are only allocated enough wine labels by the authorities to make 177 cases of wine per acre. This ensures that top wine from the best vintages is always in demand because there are fewer cases available. The rarer the wine, the more money it is worth. And as wine is consumable, demand eventually far outstrips supply.

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