The bottle(s) you dread to open?

[Jenise]

In another thread, Michael B described an old Karthauserhof riesling thus: "But the corker—ha ha—was a 1981 spaetlese. I bought 3 bottles of this from Rimmerman and the first bottle was corked, so we didn’t expect much from bottle number two. Instead, it was one of the best German wines of all tang, and that’s no misprint. Bottle #3 is still in the cellar, and that might be a good thread here, the bottle that you anticipate / dread to open.

He's right. Though we might not all have a bottle that's as 50/50 as his '81, we've all got at least one bottle we stare at through narrow slits, grimacing. What bottle makes you squirm when you think of opening it?

[David M. Bueker]

Not pricey, but the 2001 Donnhoff Oberhauser Leistenberg Kabinett - several bottles from my case have been corked.

[Jenise]

Several occur to me, and they're all Bordeaux. 96 Beasejour Becot--should have been in a great place, but the first/last one I opened was totally shut down. Or something. 96 Monbousquet: these had been so delightful when young, but the last two I opened were emptyish. Don't know if asleep or just went off a cliff. Hate to think I should have drunk them all younger and these will go to waste. Also, the '98 Grand Puy Lacoste reported on earlier this week: did I wait too long? And what about all the rest of my 98's? Danger zone?

[Jon Leifer]

back in the day when I succumbed to the siren song of Cal PN's, I loaded ip on a bunch of 2006's..Well, I still got a bunch ..and I never know what to expect as I open them..Surprisingly enough, the results have, to date, been delightful..Hopefully, I will do as well as I start going through my Bordeaux, vintages 1982-1990.

[JC (NC)]

It was a 2004 Domaine Robert Chevillon Nuits-St.-Georges Vielles Vignes red Burgundy, but I opened one of my two bottles this year and its wasn't too bad. A little herbal note but not completely given over to the "mean greenies." Other than that, it's CA Chardonnay and Australian reds that I bought before my tastes evolved and for which I may find another home or just pour them out.

[Mark Lipton]

The bottle that inspires the most dread in me is the last bottle of 1996 Ch. Soucherie Savennieres Clos des Perrieres. My previous bottle of this showed quite oxidized a year or two ago and I've held onto this one in the hope that it gets younger with age Apart from that, I'm also rather skeptical of a magnum of 1995 Chapoutier Hermitage that Jean got at auction a few years ago.

Mark Lipton

[Jenise]

The bottle that inspires the most dread in me is the last bottle of 1996 Ch. Soucherie Savennieres Clos des Perrieres. My previous bottle of this showed quite oxidized a year or two ago and I've held onto this one in the hope that it gets younger with age Apart from that, I'm also rather skeptical of a magnum of 1995 Chapoutier Hermitage that Jean got at auction a few years ago.

Mark Lipton

Gets younger with age? What lovely obstinance--sure made me laugh!

As for that Chapoutier magnum, we can help you with that.

[John S]

For me, it's the white burgundies that always make me sweat a little - who knows if they are going to be premoxed?

[Jon Peterson]

No specific wine but in general i dread opening the wines for which I have very high expectations (based either on current high cost or reputation, which offen occurs simultaneously). I have been disappointed by these wines much more often than I have been surprised by how good a wine of "low esteem" was.

[Sam Platt]

1. Any wine that I paid lots of money for (>$100/bottle per my definition) because I almost always like it less than I think I should.
2. White Burgundies from the '90's because of the high degree of premox I have experienced with them.
3. Homemade wines which were gifted to me because they are almost always awful and I feel obligated to offer a compliment. Howie Hart's wines are an extremely notable exception to this rule.

[Tom N.]

I agree with Jon, great expectations are sometimes a setup for a fall. The bottle that I dread opening is my 2007 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape. I opened the 2000 Beaucastel CdP for my 60th birthday wine last November and it was OK but paled in comparison to the 2 other CdPs we had in a blind tasting. I had such great hopes for it based on reviews that said it was great. I have had Beaucastel Cotes du Rhone that I liked more. Now I am afraid to open the 2007. Another lack luster Beaucastel?

[Bill Hooper]

I agree with Jon, great expectations are sometimes a setup for a fall. The bottle that I dread opening is my 2007 Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape. I opened the 2000 Beaucastel CdP for my 60th birthday wine last November and it was OK but paled in comparison to the 2 other CdPs we had in a blind tasting. I had such great hopes for it based on reviews that said it was great. I have had Beaucastel Cotes du Rhone that I liked more. Now I am afraid to open the 2007. Another lack luster Beaucastel?

Though I used to sell it, I only ever buy Beaucastel in 'off' vintages anymore (or did). 2001, 2004, 2006 are all remarkable and really much more useful to me.

Cheers,
Bill

[Bill Hooper]

I dread opening unfortified dessert wine. Unless it is a couple of decades old, it is almost never ready and really rather unpleasant to me (yet I have a compulsion to keep buying them...) Eiswein and M-C Rieslaner seem to be the exceptions.

[Bill Spohn]

I dread opening the last bottle of a favourite wine. I also dread leaving the last bottle of a favourite wine too long.

It's called being shizophrenic, I expect (he said, waffling over a bottle of 79 Sassicaia....)

[David Cohen]

I go in cycles but 2000 Jean-Michael Garin Cote Rotie from whatever vineyard. I took two to a restaurant, Grand Places and Landonne not long ago and both were corked. I still have two of the theGP and one of L.