How to choose a bottle of wine?

Choosing a wine may seem complex, but a few reference points are enough to make the right choice. Understanding the moment of tasting, the style of the wine and its evolution allows you to buy with confidence and fully enjoy every bottle.
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Tips for choosing your wine

How to choose a bottle of wine Is an old wine necessarily better than a young wine? How to read a vintage without making mistakes? Why do some wines need to wait before being drunk? How can you tell if a bottle has been well stored? Should I keep or open my bottle?

How to choose a bottle of wine

Most mistakes come from a very common reflex: looking at the bottle before thinking about its use.

A wine is not chosen solely for what it is, but for the moment it is intended for. An impressive bottle on paper can disappoint if opened too early. Conversely, a wine at its peak, sometimes more discreet, can offer a much more fitting experience.

So it is always where one must start: asking when and why the wine will be opened. A dinner, a gift, an anniversary wine, a first discovery, a bottle to keep… this simple reflection already makes it possible to guide the choice in a very concrete way.

Most of our product pages are enriched with expert opinions, detailed tasting notes and indications on the optimal tasting window, to guide you as best as possible in your choice; we also make available a vintage rating chart which allows you to visualise the general conditions and scores for each year by region.

Is an old wine necessarily better than a young wine?

Age is often wrongly associated with quality. Yet an old wine is not "better" than a young wine. It is simply different.

Some wines are designed to be drunk quickly. They rely on fruit, freshness, and energy. Keeping them too long risks losing what makes them charming.

Others, on the contrary, need time. Their structure needs to soften, their aromas to develop. Opening them too early would mean missing out on their potential.

The real question is therefore not the age of the wine, but its moment.

Choosing a young wine, is accepting a degree of anticipation. The wine can evolve, improve, surprise.

Choosing an old wine, is making a more immediate choice. The wine has already travelled its path. It no longer promises — it expresses itself.

For someone discovering this world, it is often more comfortable to turn towards wines that are already accessible. This helps avoid the disappointment of a wine that is too closed or difficult to read.

How to read a vintage without making mistakes?

The vintage is often the first element one looks at, and rightly so. It tells the story of the year, the conditions in which the wine was produced.

A balanced year generally produces more complete, more structured wines. But this does not mean they are ready to be tasted immediately. Very often, great vintages require time.

Conversely, a more accessible vintage can offer a great deal of pleasure more quickly.

Consult vintage ratings

Why do some wines need to wait before being drunk?

Not all wines are built to evolve in the same way.
Wines meant to be drunk young are often smoother, more immediate, fruit-driven. They are made to be enjoyed without waiting.

Wines built for ageing have a different structure. They are more concentrated, sometimes firmer in their youth. Over time, these elements blend together, the aromas gain in complexity, and the wine finds its balance.
This potential depends on many factors: the grape variety, the terroir, the winemaker's work, and also the vintage.

As a general rule, a Bordeaux wine, often made from structured grape varieties such as cabernet sauvignon, will be better suited to ageing than a lighter wine from Beaujolais, made from gamay, a grape variety that favours fruit and accessibility.

How can you tell if a bottle has been well stored?

When faced with an old bottle, certain signs can cause concern. Yet many are simply linked to the passage of time.

A slightly lower level, a marked label, a patinated capsule… all of this is normal. The wine evolves, and the bottle bears the traces of it.

What truly matters is never an isolated detail, but the whole. A bottle that is consistent in its ageing is generally reassuring.

 

Find out more about the condition of bottles

Should I keep or open my bottle?

The peak of a wine corresponds to the period during which it reaches its best balance, when its aromas, structure and texture are fully expressed. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a precise moment, but a phase that can last several years.

Wine being a living product, it evolves over time. In its youth, it is often expressive and fruit-driven. It may then go through a more restrained phase, before reaching maturity, where everything comes together: the tannins soften, the acidity integrates and the aromas gain in complexity.

It is at this stage that the wine is considered at its peak. Over time, it gradually enters a phase of decline. This does not mean it immediately becomes unpleasant, but that it loses intensity and structure, sometimes offering a more delicate expression.

A wine capable of ageing generally has body, acidity and, for reds, sufficient tannic structure. If one of these elements is lacking, it should be drunk sooner. Conversely, highly structured wines, such as certain great Bordeaux, Rhône or Bandol, often need time to soften.

The vintage also plays a determining role. Depending on the climatic conditions of the year, the same wine may be ready sooner or later. This is why it is always useful to place a bottle in its context.

 

How do you know when to open your wine?

The peak of a wine corresponds to the period during which it reaches its best balance, when its aromas, structure and texture are fully expressed. Contrary to popular belief, this is not a precise moment, but a phase that can last several years.

Wine being a living product, it evolves with time. In its youth, it is often expressive and driven by fruit. It may then go through a more subdued phase, before reaching its maturity, where everything harmonises: the tannins soften, the acidity integrates and the aromas gain in complexity.

It is at this stage that the wine is considered to be at its peak. With time, it gradually enters a phase of decline. This does not mean it immediately becomes unpleasant, but rather that it loses intensity and structure, sometimes offering a more delicate expression.

A wine capable of ageing generally has substance, acidity and, for reds, sufficient tannic structure. If one of these elements is lacking, it will need to be drunk more quickly. Conversely, highly structured wines, such as certain great Bordeaux, Rhône or Bandol wines, often require time to soften.

The vintage also plays a determining role. Depending on the climatic conditions of the year, the same wine may be ready sooner or later. This is why it is always useful to place a bottle in its context.

 

Find out more about opening and serving a wine
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