Coates Law of Maturity

Definition - What does Coates Law of Maturity mean?

The Coats Law of Maturity written by Clive Coates, a British wine writer and Master of wine in the late 60s and 70s, stated that when a wine The Coates Law of Maturity, developed by the British wine writer and Master of Wine in the 1960s and 70s, Clive Coates, states that a wine stays at its peak drinking age for as long as it took said wine to reach this level of maturity. For example, a wine which takes three years of its age to reach its peak will remain at this peak drinking age for three years.

WineFrog explains Coates Law of Maturity

The Coates Law of Maturity is a principle pertaining to wine tasting which relates to a wine's age-ability. When a wine ages, its key elements, which make up its character, fade. The aging applies to some flavors, textures and aromas. They do not fade uniformly, and depending on the individual who tastes the same wine for evaluation, they may perceive it differently. Each wine does, however, have a peak drinking age when the wine has reached its best potential. However, according to other wine professionals, there is yet to be an argument against the Coates Law of Maturity.