When to drink a Graves?
Bordeaux · indicative values: the producer, the vintage and storage conditions come first.
Graves
Red
Recommended ageing: 4 to 12 years after the vintage.
For example, a 2020 red Graves drinks best between 2024 and 2033, with a peak plateau around 2027-2031.
White
Recommended ageing: 2 to 8 years after the vintage.
For example, a 2020 white Graves drinks best between 2022 and 2029, with a peak plateau around 2024-2028.
Vintage by vintage
A great year outlives an average one: the window moves with the vintage. The most recent rated years in Bordeaux, applied to the ageing for red Graves given above.
| Vintage | Rating | Drink |
|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Great | 2027–2036 |
| 2022 | Outstanding | 2026–2036 |
| 2021 | Good | 2025–2033 |
| 2020 | Great | 2024–2033 |
| 2019 | Outstanding | 2023–2033 |
| 2018 | Outstanding | 2022–2032 |
| 2017 | Good | 2021–2029 |
| 2016 | Outstanding | 2020–2030 |
| 2015 | Outstanding | 2019–2029 |
| 2014 | Great | 2018–2027 |
| 2013 | Drink up | 2016–2021 |
| 2012 | Good | 2016–2024 |
The full history, back to the older vintages: Red Bordeaux.
How to read this window
Before the window opens, the wine is in its youth: fruit dominates, tannins or acidity can feel stern. During the peak plateau, everything falls into balance: this is the moment ageing prepares. Beyond it, the wine slowly declines: nothing unsafe, but the emotion fades. These are general benchmarks for the appellation, not a verdict on your bottle.
Curious where these numbers come from? The method is published in full: five levels from the estate down to the grape, corrected by the vintage and the bottle format.
Which dishes?
The classic pairings where Graves is one of the safe bets:
From the same region
Other appellations in Bordeaux, each with its own window:
- Entre-deux-Mers
- Sauternes
- Barsac
- Cadillac
- Loupiac
- Sainte-Croix-du-Mont
- Côtes de Bourg
- Blaye Côtes de Bordeaux
What about your bottles?
Caviste computes this window for every bottle in your cellar: photograph the label, the sheet fills itself in (estate, vintage, appellation) and the app tells you when a bottle reaches its peak. Discover Caviste.
