Pinot noir is generally released one to two years after vintage and ready to be consumed within a couple of years. Too young a wine might be unduly harsh, whereas too old a wine may have lost some of its youthful fruit vigor.

Buying (and drinking) an older bottle will typically get you a mellower softer wine with less obvious fruitiness and more herbaceous aromas. A younger wine will offer brighter, juicier fruit flavors and a firmer texture in the mouth-feel   

Store bottles in a cool, dark place. While it is now common for wine makers to use plastic corks or screw-tops lids which may be stored vertically or horizontally, those with the traditional corks should be laid on their sides to keep them moist.