WTN: A Cote Rotie Gone Bad? Nope!

2004 Clusel Roch Cote Rotie

I was frankly worried about this wine. Should one be able to smell wine if one puts one's nose next to the foil cap? It's not been stored hot at all for most of the time I've had it. This was our first quite warm day of the new season, but my apartment didn't get that hot. Was I imagining moisture under the foil? And, the fill seemed to be very high (but still below the cork). However, no sign of cork leakage or even discoloration.


AND: this French Syrah was wonderful with spicy pork ribs tonight. A quite lifted, high acid, bright nose. Viognier? Quite aromatic in character. The palate was very earthy. Meat, black pepper on the finish, earth, and nice raspberry fruit. Very earthy and delicious-and 12% abv nominal value. There are good California Syrahs (see my notes on the Sequoia Grove below), but this little Cote Rotie was just plain enjoyable=I prefer this style to the 15% abv syrupy fruit bombs. Buy Again!

I was frankly worried about this wine. Should one be able to smell wine if one puts one's nose next to the foil cap?

One big question would be what the condition of the bottle was when you bought it. Sometimes there can be residue or stains or other such from other bottles that may have broken and stained this Perfectly Intact Bottle. Rare perhaps, but, it has happened to me.

Otherwise, if you are insinuating that the seepage was coming from one warm day (and not a scorcher at all), that sounds extreme.

But, if it led you to enjoy the bottle of wine, then, hey, everyone's happy

I'm just paranoid, Rahsaan!

Still...it was a very nice bottle fully open for business. My understanding is that Cote Rotie CAN be drunk after 4-5 years??

My understanding is that Cote Rotie CAN be drunk after 4-5 years??

Depends on the producer. Depending on the vintage, at 4-5 years out some will be shut down pretty hard. I'm no expert, but my understanding is that Clusel-Roch wines drink earlier than some other producers. Especially this basic cuvee.