How long after a vintage harvest is bottled will it be rated by wine critics?!
Answers: I'm doing a research project on wine securities. Being unfamiliar in this field, I'd appreciate it if anyone would share there knowledge in this sector!
Many of the greatest wines are bought as futures, and released 1-3 years after the vintage date. And so the critics feel the need to evaluate them as soon as possible. Most of these wines, especially the reds need to spend some time in the oak, and so the critics need to taste them long before they are bottled. That's what is known as a "barrel sampling." This usually occurs in the spring, about six months after the harvest. It's impossible to determine exactly how the wine will taste later on, but professionals can usually make a fairly accurate assessment. Their opinions can have a strong influence. PBS did a program on one of them - Robert Parker, publisher of "The Wine Advocate. They called him the most influential critic in the world - not just the most influential wine critic, but the most influential critic about anything. Other strongly influential publications are The Wine Spectator, Wine Enthusiast, Steve Tanzer's report, and Wine & Spirits.
I believe it depends on the type of grape and style of wine. I don't know the specifics though.
The reviews generally come out upon release (that is, when the wine is being shipped to distributors), which is very close to the bottling date (except for Champagne, which undergoes aging in the bottle). But understand that the bottling date can be years after the harvest date. While the wine is still aging in the barrels, barrel tatsings are often done, but they can be very misleading.