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Dan,
It's not an easy question but this is what I look for. Obviously, supple, ripe tannins are a must. Tannins are a anti-oxidant and thereby a preservative. The value of tannins is to preserve the flavor components while they are evolving in the bottle. The single contribution tannins make to the flavor of a wine is when polymerization takes place. Although polymerization begins in primary fermentation, it also occurs in the bottle. The end result of polymerization is sediment and that sediment is tannins combined with salts, polysaccharides, and other colloids that can adversely effect the taste.
The other vital component to aging, and probably more important than tannins, is acid. The right acids are vital because acids combine with alcohols to create esthers, which are the aromas. Some acids are attached to sugars (glucose) which detach after aging to enhance fruit and sweetness.
With all that said, no one can tell or has a process to identify the full maturity of wine. So I look for ripe tannins, not green tannins. I feel green tannins simply involve into a clumsy wine. I look for firm, lasting, consistent acids that last 30 seconds and slowly fade slowly and consistently. Acids that spike at the initial taste fear me because, through experience, I have found them never diminish and, 5 years down the road, leave astringent and thin wines.
Steve
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