For Christmas dinner yesterday, I opened the oldest vintage in my wine cellar, a 1992 Rutherford Hills Cab. The vintage is a bit old for a California wine, so I decanted it for about 4 hours before drinking.
When I opened the bottle, the first thing I did was checked the nose. No problem there. Then I poured it through the strainer into the decanter. The color was fine. There was some sediment, but that is not to be unexpected from a wine that old.
It came time to taste the wine. While it did not taste bad, the flavor that one would expect from a good cab was just not there. Rather than having turned bad, the wine was simply past its prime.
California reds, if stored properly, should last for 10 years. French and Italian red wines should last twice that long. This is not a hard and fast rule, just a guideline. Sometimes, even if wines are stored properly (between 55 - 60 degrees Fahrenheit - I store mine at 57 degrees) they will not be good when opened. Sometimes a bad cork is to blame, and sometimes just bad luck.
So what to do when the wine is just plain bad or not up to your expectations? Always have a back up available. In my case it was a 2000 Justin Isosceles, an exquisite red blend. I was happy with it as were my guests.
Until next time, cheers.
Ted Pawlikowski
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I had this same unpleasant experience with a 1982 Chateau Haut-Brion. Nothing wrong with it, per se, but it had apparently prematurely aged due to improper storage. I got it for $90 at a silent auction and was willing to take the gamble. It was nice, just not mind-blowing as it was supposed to be. But it was worth it even to get a glimpse of greatness.
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