Wine: old v new vintages – a tricky case

Seasonal dishes such as this crisp Anna Jones salad cry out for the matching freshness of lighter wines. — Seasonal dishes such as this crisp Anna Jones salad cry out to be matched with fresh, lighter wines. Photograph: Issy Croker/The Guardian

Although the wine world has moved on enormously in the past 20 years, there is still an excessive reverence for older wines.

Don’t get me wrong: I like a treasured bottle as much as the next woman, but only as a special treat. That’s not what I drink every day, however, especially at this time of year, and I’m sure that most of you don’t, either.

Currently, we’re beginning to see the European 2018s arrive on the shelves (they’re six months behind southern hemisphere wines from that vintage, which have been around for a while now). Although it was generally a good vintage – and an outstanding one for the UK – that doesn’t necessarily mean the wines are showing at their best right now. If they’ve been recently bottled, for example, they can still taste a bit confected, with that unpleasant, acetone flavour that is characteristic of very young wines, but the economics of the industry are such that producers need to ship them out as soon as they can to be able to pay the bills.

Ironically, many crisp whites and rosés, which are just what you want to drink in early spring, often taste better by mid- to late summer. And some wines, such as riesling and semillon, can take even longer to show their true colours.

The point about older wines is that, unless they’re very good, they can be a huge disappointment. Far more bottles are lost, I reckon, from keeping them too long than from drinking them too young. If you’ve bought a case, at least one bottle risks being totally shot, particularly if it’s under cork (though admittedly, by the same token, another bottle can be sublime). With older wines, I find, it’s always good to have a back-up.

Another reason for buying more recent vintages at this time of year is the food you’re likely to be eating. Seasonal ingredients such as asparagus, peas, broad beans and goat’s cheese need the matching freshness of lighter wines and – yes – ones that are lower in alcohol, too. Although I love a gutsy red like the Pisano Tannat below with a steak or a barbecue, it’s too full-on for many vegetable dishes.

Finally, I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again: don’t be afraid to chill your reds – particularly lighter ones such as beaujolais, saumur, bourgeuil and other cabernet franc-based reds from the Loire.

It’s not a 2018, but the Morgon 2017 (13%) that Lidl has in its current wine tour selection at £7.99 would be perfect given half an hour in the fridge.

Four 2018s to enjoy now

The Wine Foundry Vinho Verde Avesso 2018

£6.49 Aldi, 12.5%.

The kind of fish-friendly white you’ll love if you’re a picpoul or muscadet fan and, I suspect, equally good with oysters.

Fabien Murail Les Clos des Chaumes Fiefs Vendéens 2018

£12.95 South Downs Cellars (and the Whalley Wine Shop has the ’17 on offer at a bargain £7.99), 13%.

A refreshingly crisp blend of chenin and chardonnay from a lesser-known Loire appellation – the sort of wine you discover on holiday. Perfect with crab.