Examples

• A classified-growth Bordeaux may spend up to two years in barrel, then improve further with 10–20 years of bottle aging, during which its firm tannins soften and complex notes of cedar, tobacco, and leather develop.
• A sommelier might say that a robust Barolo is "too young" and recommend 5–10 more years of bottle aging at home so that its structure can integrate and its aromas evolve from fresh red fruit to tar, roses, and truffle.
• A retailer may advise that a simple, unoaked Sauvignon Blanc is best enjoyed within a year or two of release, as extended bottle aging is likely to diminish its vibrant fruit and herbal character rather than improve it.

Etymology

The compound term "bottle aging" combines "bottle" and "aging." "Bottle" derives from Middle English "botel," from Old French "bouteille," from Latin "butticula," a diminutive of "buttis," meaning a cask or container for liquids; in wine, it came to denote the standard glass vessel used from around the 17th century onward, when glass bottles and cork closures enabled long-term storage. "Aging" comes from Middle English forms related to "age," from Old French "aage" and Latin "aetas" (age, lifetime); in winemaking, it began to be used in the 19th century for the maturation of wine over time. The technical phrase "bottle aging" (also "bottle-ageing" in British English) emerged in oenological and trade literature once glass bottles and corks allowed extended storage, and by the late 19th to early 20th centuries it was firmly established as distinct from "cask" or "barrel" aging.