After bottling, still wines begin the reductive stage of ageing without or with very little oxygen. Many producers store high-quality, ageable red wines in particular, but also white wines, in the bottle for up to 12 months or longer before marketing, which is why they are also referred to as bottle ageing or bottle refinement. A certain period of ageing in the bottle is also prescribed by wine law for individual wines in many countries.
Further development in the bottle usually only takes place for still wines. In the case of sparkling wines(champagne, sparkling wine, etc.), development is usually complete from the time of marketing or the peak has already been reached. The same applies to distillates such as Armagnac, Cognac, brandy, etc. All the (positive) changes during the ageing process may not yet be present in a young wine that can be savoured quickly.
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