I'm a fan of aged wines, and have found that Bordeaux from great vintages (like 2010) taste best to me with 15+ years on them. In a vintage like 1998, 10-15 years should bring out those beautiful secondary and tertiary tones that take time. Before then, the tannins are just far too distracting for me. Some people like tannic wines, so aging wines isn't a big deal and that's fine.

Personally, I think a lot of wines can last far longer than most people think. Some recent bottles of 1978 Cru Beaujolais (Vissoux), 1961 Musigny (Berry Brothers), 1937 sauternes (La Tour Blanche), 1952 & 1959 Champagne (Pol Roger), were all showing wonderfully. I don't think France WANTS to create wine that takes forever to mature, that's just bad business. Just look at the stylistic changes in the wines of Bordeaux and the Rhone over the past 20 years. They're all much more fruit forward and accessible in their youth. The changes have been purposeful as it allows them to be easier to enjoy young.