Buried in booze? What the shock discovery of the world’s oldest wine can tell us

After archaeologists discovered human remains buried in an ancient urn filled with wine, Rosamund Hall wonders why we’re so fascinated with vintage plonk

Other than wine, can you think of a commercial product that has been around for as long and has changed as little?

I think this is part of my fascination with this beautiful product. I love its simplicity – that despite all our technological advances and obsession with speed, growth and change, and our arrogant belief that our moment in time is the most important one, wine can happily ground us. That it can remind us that it’s been around for thousands of years, flowing through the social fabric of our society.

Recently, an incredible discovery was made by scientists investigating what is believed to be the world’s oldest wine. A burial urn full of the stuff, discovered by archaeologists in a Roman tomb in Spain, was found to have cremated remains inside.

Yes, it seems our ancestors may have loved wine even more than we do now, as they wanted to be suspended in it forever.

The remains are believed to belong to a man (as women, shockingly, weren’t permitted to drink). They were immersed in the liquid, which was found to be very similar to the wines of the region where they were discovered in southern Spain.

Lead archaeologist Ruiz Arrebola said: “The wine turned out to be quite similar to wines from here in Andalucía: Montilla-Moriles, sherry-type wines from Jerez, and manzanilla from Sanlúcar”. It obviously had aged rather well.

The discovery made me ponder my own fascination with aged wines. It’s commonly believed that in order to be a real wine lover loving old wines is a requirement. But is that really true?

Before we answer that, it’s worth asking: what is an aged wine? An aged wine is generally considered to be any that exist over five years after the year the grapes were harvested – so now they would be anything pre-2019.

We tend to love our wine young and fresh – the vast majority of wines that are consumed globally are intended to be enjoyed within a year or two of bottling, and aren’t actually intended to age. If you love a sauvignon blanc, you might enjoy the vibrant, refreshing citrus notes, or perhaps you prefer a pinot noir with its bright cherry and raspberry aromas and flavours. Young wines have a much fruitier flavour profile. As it starts to age, this changes.

So why do some age better than others? It’s all down to four key components: alcohol, polyphenols (tannins), sugar and acidity. All four of these components need to be in perfect balance to allow the wine to age. For example, a full-bodied red like cabernet sauvignon which has high tannins (the thing that makes your mouth feel dry), moderate to high alcohol, and high acidity tend to age better as they have the structure to allow this. As the wine ages, the fruit flavours start to dissipate and other flavours will develop nutty, earthy or leathery notes, becoming more savoury.

Traditionally, age-worthy wines are rather expensive, and are favoured by a small minority of wine drinkers. But you can find some wonderful aged wines to immerse yourself in – you don’t have to spend a fortune, or bury yourself in an urn!

If you are looking for the experience of some wines with a bit of age, then look to regions like Rioja – they actively hold their wines back in the cellars until they’re ready to drink. Or Chianti – the wonderful region in Tuscany, Italy also follows a similar principle.

They may offer a different flavour profile to your usual upfront and fruity wines, with the evolved earthy notes adding a new layer to your drinking experience – and they’re an excellent partner to warming autumnal cooking too.

Here’s my pick of some good wines with a bit of age to enjoy now:

Specially Selected Nemea Red, 2019, £9.99, Aldi. Available nationwide in-store

Made from the indigenous Greek grape Agiorgitiko, this will make you wish you were enjoying some slow-cooked lamb or roasted vegetables in the soft autumnal sun of a Greek island. It has bags of cherries and blackberries, all wrapped up with some soft vanilla spice and a sweet-leathery note.

Cantine Vittorio Innocenti Chianti Colli Senesi 2019, £15.50. Available nationwide, including Noble Green wines

This is everything I think about when I want an earthier, savoury red wine that would work well with a slow-cooked ragu after a long, bracing and blustery walk. The red cherries and brambly hedgerow fruit are the supporting acts to a deeper, meatier, rustic and warming red.

Chateau Jamard Belcour, Lussac Saint-Emilion 2019, £13.95. The Wine Society

We can’t talk about aged wines without including something from the region of Bordeaux in southwest France. Why not pour yourself a glass and enjoy a sensory experience of dark chocolate, fireside smokiness and ripe black cherries and plums? It’s got super-smooth tannins and demands that you linger a long time. It’s best served with good food and great friends.

Baron Amarillo Rioja Reserva, 2019, £5.99, Aldi. Available nationwide in-store

The region of Rioja in northwestern Spain steadfastly delivers in terms of price and quality, and this wine is no exception. It’s made from 100 per cent Tempranillo – the necessary hallmarks of dark plums, ripe strawberries, and a lick of toasty sweet vanilla give this wine its everyday Rioja stamp of approval.

Rosamund Hall (DipWSET) is a freelance writer, presenter and columnist specialising in wine and spirits as well as lifestyle, travel and parenting