Firetown, this is all my "subjective" view. I only draw my conclusions from what the women I know have told me, a certain set of women, to start with, almost all college educated, a good number with advanced degrees, and almost always at women's get togethers when alcohol has loosened their tongues. It's not just when they gather at one woman's house while the children run wild, btw. I used to think Book Club was as popular for the two or three hours after the discussion when the wine came out as for the book discussion itself. I belonged to that club for almost 20 years, the whole time I lived in that neighborhood, and we met once a month. I learned a lot, and not just history, and biography and the New York Times notable books.
I think all women fantasize, as I'm sure all men fantasize. I just think across the board, at least for my generation, women's fantasies are different. No matter how educated they are, women swoon over movies like "Dirty Dancing". Is there sex in it? Yes, but it's not hard core porn. Did they swoon over Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise? Not my type but I'm sure some did. Whether or not the sex would have been different for them if they were with these men in their prime I don't know. Perhaps, because novelty has its appeal, as well as the sheer beauty of one's partner.
However, I think over time one's true nature shows itself, in the strength of sexual desire as well as every other personality trait. The strength of the sex drive is hormonal in my opinion. Perhaps the women who have a stronger sex drive have a bit more testosterone than other women, or other hormones whose effect we don't yet know? For a lot of the women I've known, kissing, cuddling, falling asleep spooned with their mate is as fulfilling as sex, and sometimes more fulfilling. It apparently takes a lot for some of them to reach satisfaction. They need husbands with skill and patience, which not all of them have.
Women also use sex as a bartering tool. They turn it off if things are not going their way, which can be disastrous for the relationship. It's why I sometimes understood in the divorces I've seen how a man could in all honesty say he loved his wife, but he needed to get satisfaction elsewhere. There are women out there for whom sex is not such a chore, or else the novelty helps them, or they just can put on a good show to get the ego gratification they need, which fuels a lot of sexual behavior in women when they're not in a committed relationship.
To return to the topic of the thread, I think there's a reason why some men are attracted to older women. What is lost physically may be balanced by more wisdom, less selfishness, a greater understanding and acceptance of a man's needs. Hey, it works for Macron and his wife!