Ever spotted the term “old vine”—or its French equivalent, “vieilles vignes”—on wine labels and wondered what it meant? In the simplest terms, old-vine wine is wine made from fruit grown on vines that are, well, old. But how old must a vine be to be considered old? And why is that a good thing?
Winemakers and viticulturists are quick to praise the benefits of vines that have been rooted in the soil for a significant period of time. Many claim the fruit that hangs from older vines has the potential to create wines with deeper flavors and more nuance than can be found in grapes of younger, more productive vines.
“There’s nothing like an old wine from an old vineyard,” says Phil Coturri, a winemaker and pioneer of organic and biodynamic farming in California. “Age is the greatest complexity.”
Yet what constitutes an “old vine” is incredibly murky and differs from winemaker to winemaker and region to region. Fortunately, over the past decade or so, leading experts have begun creating their own classifications to help wine buyers understand what they’re drinking.
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How Old Are “Old Vines”?
There is no legal definition for what is an “old vine.” In France, one producer may consider 20-year-old vines as vieilles vignes, while another may use the term for vines that are older than 70. South Africa’s Old Vine Project certifies vineyards that are 35 years and older.
Australia’s Barossa region is the only zone in the world with some semblance of an official definition, but it’s a voluntary designation and therefore has limited influence. Here, the Old Vine Charter classifies “old vine” as those that are at least 35 years old. The charter goes on to define “Survivor” vines as those that have made it past 70 years, “Centenarian” vines as those over 100 years old and “Ancestor” vines as those over 125 years old.
“Most people make the wine from these vineyards as single-vineyard wines,” says Annabel Mugford, special projects consultant for Barossa Australia. “If they are blended, whatever is the youngest vine in the blend dictates what category it goes into.”
Though there are no regulations regarding labeling in the Barossa, the organization does monitor to ensure that winemakers aren’t claiming that a bottle is made from Ancestor Vines or one of the other classifications, when it’s actually not.
On the other side of the planet, California’s Historic Vineyard Society maintains a Registry of Heritage Vineyards. To earn a spot on the list, a currently-producing Golden State vineyard must boast an original planting date at least 50 years ago, with a minimum of one-third of the producing vines traced back to that initial cultivation.
The half-century mark was chosen as California’s cut-off was partly inspired by the fifty-year rule in American historic preservation, which stipulates that historically-significant properties younger than fifty years are usually deemed eligible for the National Register of Historic places. The decision was also influenced by changes in wine growing that were happening 50 years prior to the foundation of the nonprofit organization in 2011.
“The 1960s is when the way vines were planted started to change with trellising and, later, drip irrigation,” says winemaker Tegan Passalacqua, one of the founders of the Historic Vineyard Society. “Before that all vines [in California] were head-trained and dry-farmed.”
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How Do “Old Vines” Differ from Young Vines?
No matter where old vines are found, what sets them apart from their younger brethren are their deep roots, which can draw nutrients and groundwater far beneath the earth’s surface. This helps them to adapt to annual weather variations and other natural events without human intervention and, its proponents believe, express the surrounding terroir on a deeper level.
“Part of the celebration of old vines throughout the world is that they were planted before drip irrigation,” says Passalacqua. “The vines were really able to see the seasons as they came.”
Young vines, on the other hand, tend to be vigorous and highly productive up until around 15 to 20 years. Depending upon how they’re pruned and maintained, yields then often start to decline. Most wineries rip them out and replant to ensure they’re getting as much fruit as possible.
Though it’s far from the norm, Dr. Dylan Grigg, a viticulture consultant who studies old vines, has found that the opposite can be true for properly-maintained old vines. “We found in the Barossa that older vines had more fruit in some cases,” he says. These vines, which were producing quality fruit past the 20 or even 30 year mark, had likely been carefully looked after, were well selected and had been planted in a fitting location. All of this helped the vines’ ability to weather stress and changes in their surroundings.
Another reason old vines can be more resilient than younger ones? They have the potential to store more carbohydrates, which can potentially buffer environmental shifts like heatwaves, frosty springs and droughts.
“Old vines iron out the ups and downs of the season,” says Griggs. “They stick to it, in terms of yield and growth.”
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Do Old-Vines Wines Taste Better?
Most wine professionals agree that old-vine wines are more complex with better color and higher acidity.
There’s a lot of speculation as to why this is the case. Many believe it’s related to the smaller size of berries produced on old vines, which are thought to contain a higher ratio of tannins. However, Grigg has actually found that some older vines actually boast larger berries than younger vines, which complicates this narrative.
The old vines that produce larger berries do so “perhaps because they’re less stressed,” he suggests, a result of the time they’ve had to adapt to climate and growing conditions.
According to Grigg’s studies, tannin levels are generally about the same in old and young vines when they are of the same varietal and grown in the same place. However, sensory panels have shown that wines made from the fruit of older vines tend to have more red fruit notes, while younger vines lead to wines with more blue fruit notes. Still, these differences are hard to break down scientifically.
“There’s something in there that our palates can pick up on,” says Grigg. “It’s like there are more pixels in older vines than younger vines.”
Best U.S.
Birichino 2022 Old Vines Besson Vineyard Grenache (Central Coast)
This young bottling will have a long cellar life, thanks perhaps to the old-vine attributes. Aromas of amaro-like myrtle and eucalyptus leaf meet with stewed strawberry and raspberry on the nose. The palate is loaded with acid, chalky in tannins, and spicy in cracked white pepper, with a core of pomegranate and black raspberry fruit. Drink the wine now through 2032. Cellar Selection. 94 Points — Matt Kettmann
$ Varies Wine.com
Lynmar Estate 2021 Old Vines Pinot Noir (Russian River Valley)
Deep, ripe, dark plums and spiced cherries give a fascinating array of fruity, spicy, toasty nuances to this well-balanced and energized wine. Made from grapes of nearly 50-year-old Swan-clone vines, the wine’s moderate tannins and lively acidity add to its freshness and appetizing bite. Best through 2031. Cellar Selection. 97 Points — Jim Gordon
$ Varies Finewinehouse.com
Carol Shelton 2020 Wild Thing-Old Vine Zinfandel (Mendocino)
A classic that every Zin lover should keep in their stash. Notes of black and blue fruits intertwine with oak-infused spices. Palate offers a mouthful of tannins and modest acidity. Incorporates Carignane, Petite Sirah and a few other reds into the mix. 88 Points — Stacy Briscoe
$ Varies Wine.com
L’Ecole No. 41 2022 Old Vines Chenin Blanc (Yakima Valley)
This is a true Washington wine classic that is also a spectacular value. Gravenstein apple and lemon verbena aromas swirl about your head as notes of river stones and white pepper try to sneak up on you. There’s some body here, with a rich texture and flavors like grilled lemons, Bosc pears and a lemon granita. Best Buy. 92 Points — Michael Alberty
$ Varies Total Wine & MoreBest French
Domaine Clémancey 2019 Les Hervelets Vielles Vignes Premier Cru (Fixin)
Notes of ripe and tart apples, rhubarb, plum, cherry, peonies, lilac, rose, white tea and fresh earth make for a highly complex wine. Its elegant aromas and flavors shine through great fruit concentration. 92 Points— Anna-Christina Cabrales
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Domaine Pascal et Mireille Renaud 2021 Cuvée Vieilles Vignes (Pouilly-Fuissé)
Best Australian
Thistledown 2021 She’s Electric Old Vine Grenache (McLaren Vale)
Hugely aromatic and unmistakably Aussie, this may rank high on the crowd appeal meter, but don’t mistake that for simplicity. There’s complexity and age-worthiness here, too. It opens with a billowy perfume of strawberry and raspberry Jolly Ranchers, rose petals and a medicinal herbal note. This flows to an elegant, mid-weight palate that’s ensconced in textural, fine tannins. It’s juicy fruited with a touch of savory spice. Drink now—2030. 95 Points — Christina Pickard
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Yalumba 2018 Samuel’s Collection-Bush Vine Grenache (Barossa)
The latest range in Yalumba’s vast array of wines, the Samuel’s Collection, includes this well-priced Grenache. It’s light bodied, gluggable and perfectly on trend. Bright and bouncy, it bursts with ripe red berries followed by dried leaf, green peppercorn and floral characters. The palate is equally dainty, with crunchy acidity, juicy fruit and soft herbal tannins—a straightforward but highly likable drop for drinking young. 90 Points — C.P.
$ Varies Wine SearcherBest Spanish
Avancia 2022 Old Vines Godello Godello (Valdeorras)
Light yellow in the glass, with flecks of gold, this wine proffers a bouquet of apricot, mint tea and orange zest. It is full in the mouth, with flavors of Valencia orange, lemon, Bartlett pear, sage leaf and vanilla. The finish offers a splash of pineapple and a touch of flint. Editors Choice. 93 Points — Mike DeSimone
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Vinos del Atlantico 2021 Zestos Malvar Old Vines Malvar (Vinos de Madrid)
Bodegas Nekeas 2020 El Chaparral de Vega Sindoa Old Vines Garnacha Garnacha (Navarra)
Dark ruby in the glass, this wine offers aromas of raspberry, cassis and black-olive tapenade. Black and red fruit takes hold of the palate at first sip, joined shortly by dark chocolate, dried Mediterranean herb and eucalyptus flavors. As fruit flavors peel away, velvety tannins coat the palate and linger there. Best Buy. 90 Points — M.D.
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Volver 2021 Tarima Hill Old Vines Monastrell (Alicante)
This deep ruby-colored wine has a nose of Chambord, ripe summer cherry and lavender. Cherry vanilla, blueberry, anise and violet flavors are wrapped in a sheath of silky tannins. 91 Points — Mike DeSimone
$ Varies Total Wine & MoreBest Portuguese
Quinta das Carvalhas 2019 Vinhas Velhas Red (Douro)
From century-old vines, the wine is impressively rich and dense. It has layers of black fruits, acidity and some solid, young tannins. This is a powerful wine, with tannins and a firm structure. The wine needs to age—ready to drink from 2025. 94 Points — Roger Voss
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Quinta Vale D. Maria 2020 Vinha da Francisca Red (Douro)
Named after Francisca van Zeller, daughter of Cristiano van Zeller whose family home is Vale D. Maria, the wine comes from a single plot of old vines. It is a powerful wine with great density and simultaneously serious richness. The wine deserves further aging. Wait to drink until 2026. Cellar Selection. 94 Points — R.V.
$ Varies Central Wine MerchantsBest South African
Raats Family 2022 Old Vines Chenin Blanc (Stellenbosch)
Freshness and balance describe the character of this Chenin Blanc. The nose shows pear and citrus fruit. There is an elegant and subtle mix of lemon zest, pear, white peach and linden tea on the midpalate. Good acidity lengthens the flavors for a lasting tasty finish. 91 Points — J.V.
$29 Wine SearcherPublished: December 26, 2023
