For every tasting note on Wine Companion, James Halliday and the team provide a ‘drink by’ date (i.e. Drink by 2025), which you'll find under the ‘wine information’ across the website. While this is an educated guess – think of it as more of a ‘best before’ suggestion than an ‘expires by’ rule – it’s great for giving you an idea of the lifespan of a wine.
Ahead, we pinpoint some back-vintage bottles best opened soon, according to this recommended drinking window. They appear in order of oldest vintage and include some of Australia’s most famous labels – have a rifle through your wine shelves to see if you have any stowed away, and then pull them out today. You can also sort the wines in your Virtual Cellar by their drink-by dates, helping you to prioritise removing the ones reaching their peak.
Sign up to view these tasting notes and ratings
By becoming a member of Wine Companion, you'll have access to the largest database of wines in Australia.
Organise your wine collection with a Virtual Cellar, which allows you to keep track of the price, points and drinking windows of your prized bottles.
Latest Articles
-
News
Alkina releases its first Estate range – bridging the gap between its entry-level and top-tier wines
1 day ago -
Travel
Clear your calendar for these two winter wine festivals taking place in August
1 day ago -
Wines to try
19 red, white and sparkling wines to try (all rated 92+ points)
1 day ago -
Spirits
Why you have to visit these five Tasmanian and South Australian distilleries
19 Jun 2025