The identity of old vines – can time be tasted?

Is older better? ‘Not if you’re human,’ according to Doug Frost MW MS. On the other hand, the multisuffixed expert suggested that vines benefit from some age to deliver the best wines and a better express terroir.

Frost was leading a tasting titled ‘Is older better?’, one of multiple sessions held during this year’s edition of Barcelona Wine Week to explore the meaning and importance of old vines, both from a symbolic and winemaking point of view. Other masterclasses included ‘Old Vines – Beyond Beauty’, moderated by Fernando Mora MW and ‘Pre-phylloxera vines, the indelible heritage’, moderated by Ruth Troyano.

Living narrative

The common thread and foremost conclusion, across sessions, was that beyond the impact on taste (more on that below), the attention paid to old vines is fundamentally about social, economic and cultural sustainability.

The fact that so many vineyards were, throughout the 20th century, replaced by higher-yielding varieties has had a deep impact on the potential of commercial differentiation and the climate resilience of many regions. Ironically, and with an almost tragic lack of strategic foresight, decisions made with volume and commercial aggressiveness in mind have limited the potential for singularity and competitive market placement.

As part of the panel discussing pre-phylloxera plantings, Elisa Ludeña, winemaker at Canary Island’s winery El Grifo, described the study of old vines as an ‘archaeology of wine’, unveiling social and economic information, as much as viticultural. And Ludeña pointed out that by looking at the past, and understanding the viticultural lineage of a place, winemakers and regions are better placed to face the challenges of the future. ‘For me this is true resistance,’ concluded Ludeña, asserting heritage-focused viticulture as a rebellious act.

Climate resilience

This was echoed by star winemaker Raúl Pérez at the ‘Beyond beauty session’: ‘Wines used to be produced to be enjoyed; now they’re made to be tasted and scored. We’re losing our identity.’ He went on to stress that the value of old vines is the preservation of wines with a sense of place and inherent drinkability. ‘Old vines allow us to harvest earlier with enough maturity,’ he explained. ‘So you actually have wines with natural freshness and lower alcohol.’

In this context, old vines emerge as a tool in the face of changes in both climate and consumer demand. Winemakers at all sessions stressed how older vines have the ability – albeit at the expense of higher yields – to self-regulate and withstand drought and extreme heat. All while delivering fruit with more concentration and finer acid. ‘It’s all about the root system.’ explained Pérez, suggesting that a more established root network allows the plants to retrieve water and nutrients deeper and process them more efficiently.

Natural selection

Another recurrent comment was that old vines, per se, are not a valuable asset. They only become truly special in the context of a suitable place and if tended to correctly; the idea of the perfect terroir therefore emerges as a complex web of natural and human factors that shape the perfect (old) vines throughout time. And hence their value is also, and perhaps above all, that they are a living, evolving narrative. As many of the panelists pointed out, there is a reason why some vineyards, in some places, live to be old; if they indeed withstand the test of time – not least in the face of the aforementioned commercial pressures – there must be something that makes them inherently different and worthy.

Longevity in turn underscores another important capital of old vines: the preservation of genetic diversity. Along with the ubiquitous planting of international varieties came the hegemony of specific clones chosen with yields and specific aromatic traits in mind, at the cost of complexity and resilience.

The truth in the bottle

Arguably then, the defence of old vines is more about sustainability and heritage than it is about the wines they produce. The latter however, also seem to justify their preservation.

According to Frost there seems to be a breadth of palate and textural complexity that only older plants can deliver consistently. He justifies this with the many physiological aspects touched upon during the different sessions: lower yields; greater concentration; higher resistance to drought.

But can origin, viticulture and winemaking skill trump the expressiveness of an old vine? The answer is complex: origin and viticulture are ultimately part of what shapes that expressiveness; (good) winemaking, on the other hand, can merely embrace the responsibility of leveraging it. As Mora put it, it’s worth keep making ‘wines that are not mere products but rather objects of intellectual sublimation’.

The taste of old vines – eight Spanish wines to try:

All wines tasted at Barcelona Wine Week, between 3 and 5 February 2025. 

Wines grouped by style and ordered by score, in descending order.

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