Question on older half bottles, Bordeaux in particular.
Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 1:14 pm
WTN: Question on older half bottles, Bordeaux in particular.
I've always like half bottles, particularly since Janet often doesn't have wine with dinner. The half bottle is perfect -- a glass with my meal (a second available for Janet if she loves her sip of my glass), and a second glass to dawdle over after dinner. Generally these have been fairly recent vintages, but a few years ago I bought a mixed case of half bottles of Bordeaux.
Storage was reportedly pretty good; I know for sure they've been kept for the past six years at 75% humidity, 52F. My son David and I tried a sampling of the bottles two nights ago -- we had to have something to do, since FedEx retained (and still retains) our three bottles of Seven Deadly Zins.
Based on this sampling, I would have preferred the zin. :-(
Our lineup was:
1989 Lynch Bages Pauillac Bordeaux France. Imported by William Grant and Sons, New York, NY. 12.5% alcohol.
1985 Gran Vin de Leoville Saint Julien Bordeaux France. Imported by William Grant and Sons, New York, NY. 12.7% alcohol.
1986 Ch. Lafite Rothschild Pauillac Bordeaux France. Imported by William Grant and Sons, New York, NY. 12.7% alcohol.
None of the wines were spoiled in any way, but they all were over the hill -- limited aroma and taste, very mild tannins, no improvement over time. Drinkable, but no more than 2* for any of the three.
An aberration? Or do half bottles of Bordeaux need to be drunk up early?
Regards, Bob
I've always like half bottles, particularly since Janet often doesn't have wine with dinner. The half bottle is perfect -- a glass with my meal (a second available for Janet if she loves her sip of my glass), and a second glass to dawdle over after dinner. Generally these have been fairly recent vintages, but a few years ago I bought a mixed case of half bottles of Bordeaux.
Storage was reportedly pretty good; I know for sure they've been kept for the past six years at 75% humidity, 52F. My son David and I tried a sampling of the bottles two nights ago -- we had to have something to do, since FedEx retained (and still retains) our three bottles of Seven Deadly Zins.
Based on this sampling, I would have preferred the zin. :-(
Our lineup was:
1989 Lynch Bages Pauillac Bordeaux France. Imported by William Grant and Sons, New York, NY. 12.5% alcohol.
1985 Gran Vin de Leoville Saint Julien Bordeaux France. Imported by William Grant and Sons, New York, NY. 12.7% alcohol.
1986 Ch. Lafite Rothschild Pauillac Bordeaux France. Imported by William Grant and Sons, New York, NY. 12.7% alcohol.
None of the wines were spoiled in any way, but they all were over the hill -- limited aroma and taste, very mild tannins, no improvement over time. Drinkable, but no more than 2* for any of the three.
An aberration? Or do half bottles of Bordeaux need to be drunk up early?
Regards, Bob