Bottle size and aging

As you know, it is quite normal for individuals, publications and sites like Cellartracker.com to suggest the aging potential of wines. Most of these estimates, I presume, are for the standard 750 ml bottle. Does anyone know if any estimates take bottle size into account? For example, can I expect the same peak flavor window for a 375 ml bottle of Ch. d'Yquem as for a 750 ml from the same year? Is there anything more reliable than simply thinking that smaller bottles age faster (whatever ‘faster’ means) that bigger bottles?

This is a tricky (& very interesting) issue because a half bottle may make a wine drinkable earlier, but at a flavor cost that is hard to assess. Jancis Robinson, in her book "How to Taste," writes: "Half bottles encourage the wines to mature more rapidly, but perhaps without picking up quite such interest along the way as a standard bottle size. Reckoned to be the most satisfactory of all is the magnum, which is why it usually costs more than two standard bottles."

[Jenise]

As you know, it is quite normal for individuals, publications and sites like Cellartracker.com to suggest the aging potential of wines. Most of these estimates, I presume, are for the standard 750 ml bottle. Does anyone know if any estimates take bottle size into account? For example, can I expect the same peak flavor window for a 375 ml bottle of Ch. d'Yquem as for a 750 ml from the same year? Is there anything more reliable than simply thinking that smaller bottles age faster (whatever ‘faster’ means) that bigger bottles?

Jon, I believe someone asked the question about a 'rule of thumb' that might be used to add or deduct from estimates for 750 ml bottles (might have been me, in fact) a while back, and there were some interesting answers. I'll see if I can find it.

[Jenise]

Jon, I found the thread I remembered. Here's the link, read Ian's input:

http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/village/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=701&p=4936#p4936

[David M. Bueker]

Be careful with CellarTracker estimates. They are community guesswork and the suggested drinking curves that the software gives are linear between the start and end dates.

So you end up with things like 0.47 bottles ready to drink.

As to what the estimates are based on...educated guesswork.

I guess the reason for faster aging in smaller bottles is a larger air to liquid ratio. But, since the amount of air that the cork lets in (unless we are talking about screwcaps, etc.) varies so greatly, any rule would be unreliable.

[David M. Bueker]

I guess the reason for faster aging in smaller bottles is a larger air to liquid ratio. But, since the amount of air that the cork lets in (unless we are talking about screwcaps, etc.) varies so greatly, any rule would be unreliable.

Yes and yes.

Thanks for the link, Jenise; and everyone else for their thoughts. Rest assured, David, I take all such drinking windows with a grain of salt. I know the very best thing to do is buy cases and try a bottle every once in a while, however I have two universities right now going after the same wallet from which the cases are paid for and a third university getting in line for my youngest.