How long does a typical chardonnay last?

Sorry, there's no such thing as a typical Chardonnay

How long a wine will last depends very much on how much wood ageing, how much alcohol and how much sugar is in the wine. A sweet Chardonnay will generall keep longer than a dry one. But there are so many parameters....

Most white wines are meant for early drinking.

There is really no point in deliberately holding on to them, you'll lose the freshness that makes them attractive.

Some people like the taste of aged wines. White wines will go darker in colour and the taste will change, maybe seeming duller.

There are exceptions and they will be the more expensive wines but the basic rule on white wines and inexpensive wines is DYA - Drink Youngest Available

I agree wholeheartedly with Peter! Yes there are certain white wines that can age for 10 or more years but it's safest to assume you should drink them relatively quickly, within a year or two. Usually this question comes up when someone is cleaning out a relative's home and comes across a 20 year old bottle of Chardonnay and wants to know if they will die if they try some ...

True, the vast majority of all wines, red and white, are meant to be drunk early. Studies show that something like 95% of all bottles of wine sold in Australia are drunk within 48 hours of purchase. Wine makers would be crazy to ignore a statistic like that.

That said, many white wines do keep very well and can be enjoyed early or after several years in the bottle. Again it is true that many people enjoy the fruity crispness of a young reisling over its aged big brother, and an un-oaked chardonnay or marsanne is pointless to keep.

But I have never met a (dry) semillon I didn't like better after 10 years in the bottle, and the glorious golden colour of an aged marsanne or a 'properly made' chardonnay (it must be oaked for aging to do any good but I think a lot of chardonnay has got too much darn wood - if I want to chew on a chair leg, I will for crying out loud. But I can't drink those over oaked things young either) can be the harbinger of a beautiful friendship.

A dry reisling is admittedly a problem child though. It has this 'trough' it goes into and hides for a few years, but when it comes out it is terrific. The trick is to catch it before it goes to sleep, of after it wakes up.

An aged reisling is really not for a coca-cola palatte though.

That is an excellent point - there are certainly some white wines that are made for aging and which would not taste their best when young. I would hazard to guess that most wines people write me about do not fall into this category - but they are out there! So if someone finds a 10 year old bottle of white wine I would not tell them to pour it out - I'd tell them to research the wine, see if it was meant for aging, and then give it a try. Heck, you never know, it could be very tasty!

Yeah its excellent post. That is really a impressive topic..Thank you for sharing this with us… I m agree with your views... There is really no point in deliberately holding on to them, you'll lose the freshness that makes them attractive..

It all depends on the specific wine! If you happen to have a bottle of wine that is meant to last 20 years, keep it safely in that wine fridge!

Be sure to read my page all about Chardonnay Wine Information to learn more about types of chardonnay and how to serve it!

What's the oldest Chardonnay you guys have tried? What did you think of it?