It’s 2023, which means that deep in your cellar is a bottle just bursting with flavor, ready to finally be enjoyed this year. But don't go into this experience unprepared. Opening a vintage wine after it has spent some much-needed time in storage is a very special experience; our wine experts are here to break down everything you need to know about choosing the best vintage to enjoy this year. Of course, wines don’t really "peak" as much as they simply reach a point when they’re ready to be poured. “Very few wines have just a peak,” explains Jim Gordon, Senior Tasting Editor at Wine Enthusiast. “There’s not one month, one year you have to drink them. It’s more that they plateau.” These wines "gain the complexity and nuances of age gradually and get to a point where the wine is in a balance between the complex nuances of age and still has some youthful fruitiness and freshness," he continues. With that in mind, here are 10 bottles that reach their potential in 2023. Are you ready to break into these vintages? The Best Wine Vintages to Drink Now Taittinger 2008 Comtes de Champagne Grands Crus Blanc de Blancs Brut Chardonnay (Champagne) Produttori del Barbaresco 2013 Montefico Riserva (Barbaresco) CVNE 2011 Imperial Gran Reserva (Rioja) Yangarra 2015 Ironheart Shiraz (McLaren Vale) Nikolaihof 2002 Vinothek Riesling (Wachau) Freemark Abbey 2005 Bosché Cabernet Sauvignon (Rutherford) Heitz 2012 Martha's Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) Kistler 2015 Cuvée Cathleen Kistler Vineyard Chardonnay (Sonoma Valley) Cayuse 2010 Cailloux Vineyard Syrah (Walla Walla Valley (WA)) Archery Summit 2009 Arcus Estate Pinot Noir (Dundee Hills) FAQ How Do You Determine What Vintage Peaks in 2023? Consult a wine vintage chart or ask a wine seller when purchasing an age-worthy wine for their recommendation. A lot is dependent on the grape varietal and region from which the wine hails, Gordon explains. For example, red wines like Cabernet Sauvignon and Tempranillo tend to age very well, whereas Zinfandel and Grenache tend not to, he says. What Makes a Wine Age-Worthy? An age-worthy wine has a good balance of acid, alcohol, tannins and sometimes sugar, Gordon says. “All of those things in the right amount tend to help a wine age,” he notes. For example, a crisp Chablis from France can age a long time due to its high acid content, a high-tannin Tempranillo can gain more balance by aging and a fortified wine like Port can benefit from aging due to its high alcohol content. “Many wines are made to age, and if you don’t let it age and try some older wines, then you don’t ever taste the whole wine. You can’t really appreciate what it can do,” Gordon says. How Do You Store Vintage Wines? Learn how to store wine for the best chance of letting wines reach their full potential. Gordon recommends storing bottles in a cool, dry place that is out of direct light and sunlight. Additionally, Gordon notes many wine shops or other reputable wine sellers will take good care of storing older bottles and put them out for sale at a discounted price once they’ve hit their peak. “They tend to be more expensive, so it’s a value, too,” he says. Why Should You Trust Us? All products featured here are independently selected by our team, which is comprised of experienced writers and wine tasters and overseen by editorial professionals at Wine Enthusiast headquarters. All ratings and reviews are performed blind in a controlled setting and reflect the parameters of our 100-point scale. Wine Enthusiast does not accept payment to conduct any product review, though we may earn a commission on purchases made through links on this site. Prices were accurate at the time of publication.