When I used to help my grandparents can, and I mean canning to eat throughout a season until the next year or longer. Their canning area was like an operating room. It was not uncommon to pop a can of something that was 10+ years old and it was perfectly fine. You're absolutely correct about proper cleaning and sanitation. If done correctly it will last quite a long time. The smallest speck of a contaminant will ruin it in a hurry.One of the things I picked up from winemaking is that there is a difference between clean, sanitized, and sterilized. You can sterilize something and it still be dirty. One of the other things I picked up was that yeast, mold, and bacteria is EVERYWHERE AT ALL TIMES. If you don’t believe me, just start a wine and put a spoon from the dishwasher in your must. I’ll guarantee you that you’ll have vinegar in a few weeks.
My kitchen has to be ready for surgery clean before starting a wine or mead. I carry that over for dealing with my homegrown tobacco also. It’s just too easy to get mold. Drop the ball just for a second and you’ve ruined a years work.