Chateauneuf Roll of the Dice

It was with great anticipation that I opened a 2007 Vieux Telegraph La Crau to pair with dinner the other night. It had been quietly laying in the cellar tor years waiting for its day to shine. That day had come and I eagerly retrieved it from the cellar. However upon opening the wine and pouring a tasting sip, disappointment overcame my mood. The wine had a bad chemical smell and really bad sherry and alcohol notes on the nose. A taste confirmed the nose, not corked just bad. My disappointment grew deeper when I noticed the wine store that my wife had purchased the wine from as a special gift for me. The store is still there but it has been sold twice in the years since she purchased this wine. No recourse to return the wine! I would imagine many have had a similar experience?

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I did not have any backup for the bad wine so I again went to the cellar and found another likely candidate that was occupying the space next to the ill-fated Vieux Telegraph. It was a 2008 Janasse CDP. Luckily this wine was excellent and dinner happily continued on.

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Hey Bob, I also had a bad experience with a CdP last night. I opened a Elite de Saint-Pierre 2012 CdP with venison chili and found it to be somewhat corked. I then opened a 2013 Domaine La Milliere VV that was just fine. I poured the corked wine into a large crafe but I just sniffed it today and it is even more corked that last nite. My first corked wine in probably 4 months. Internet purchase so will not bother to try for a replacement.

Hey Bob, I also had a bad experience with a CdP last night.

With a corked wine it still sucks but at least I understand why it happens and you have "something" to blame. My bottle was purchased as soon as available and stored correctly. Why do good bottles go bad Also why do the more expensive bottles seem to go bad at a higher rate then less expensive bottling's. Unfortunately my experience has shown this to be true... Occasionally I find a much less expensive bottling in my cellar that somehow got lost and should of been consumed years ago. Surprisingly my track record has been really good for these wines.

Alcohol notes sound like '07 CdP to me!
Snarkiness aside, sorry about that. Always hurts when a bottle you looked forward to tanks.

I opened a bottle of 2009 Beaucastel last night.....pretty fabulous, just as expected.

...why do the more expensive bottles seem to go bad at a higher rate then less expensive bottling's...

Perchance because one keeps them longer? Or more likely imvho, one is more likely to remember an expensive disappointment than a cheap one...

...why do the more expensive bottles seem to go bad at a higher rate then less expensive bottling's...

Perchance because one keeps them longer? Or more likely imvho, one is more likely to remember an expensive disappointment than a cheap one...

Actually I keep track of everything including failures on a spreadsheet so my statement is a little more analytical then just relying on my hit or miss memory. I will agree that cellaring longer does increase your odds and that you do tend to remember the sting from losing expensive wines much more then the daily drinkers.

Oh Brother Bob,

You know these horror stories about CdP bring a tear to me eye. So sorry for your loss.


JB

Oh Brother Bob,

You know these horror stories about CdP bring a tear to me eye. So sorry for your loss.


JB

So True!