Nathan Harder, by email, asks: I am getting married in August 2020. We both love wine and are looking to spend £200 or less on a 10-year anniversary wine.
We love Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or blends of both. We’re also taking a liking to red Zinfandel. What do you think would age well and be good in 2030?
Anthony Rose, an awarded wine writer and regular contributor to Decanter, replies: Congratulations! Assuming you’re not waiting until 2020 to find out what that vintage will be like, and if you’re prepared to push the boat out for a Cabernet-Merlot blend, you could do worse than plump for a Bordeaux cru classé from a great vintage such as 2010.
In that vein, Vieux Château Certan, albeit at just over £200 a bottle, is magnificent; Les Forts de Latour, a similarly priced chip off the Château Latour block, is extraordinarily dense; while just over £100 will buy the exceptional Pessac-Léognan cru classé, Château Haut-Bailly.
For a great Zinfandel with longevity, my choice would be the remarkably rich, spicy and ageworthy – not to mention cheaper – Ridge, Lytton Springs Zinfandel 2016.
Stored undisturbed in a cool dark place, any of these wines should be coming into their own beautifully in 2030.
This question first appeared in the June 2019 issue of Decanter magazine.
