We recently recceived a question from a Relish reader about wine — specifically whether we thought a 1975 bottle of Charles Krug Caberet Sauvignon that had been stored away for years would still be good. Our wine expert, Charles Smothermon, provided this reply:
It was a delight to receive your letter and to hear such
an intriguing wine story. Thanks so much for sharing the experience!
The 1975 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon could be a fascinating wine
to taste. After a period of neglect, wine lovers have become
interested once again in mature, high-quality California Cabernets
such as this one. The big concern, of course, is the condition of
this particular bottle. If you know for certain that it was subject
to extreme temperature swings, including periods of heat — say, in an
attic or garage — then, chances are, the wine will be in pretty tough
shape by now. But if conditions have been relatively constant and
never very warm, the wine may still be fine. Obviously, sealed up in
that box, it hasn't been exposed to lots of damaging light, so that's
certainly in its favor, as well.
My suggestion is to find someone in your area who is passionately
interested in wine and to share both the story and the wine with
them. I know it may seem like a lot of trouble to try to find such a
person — to ask around local wine shops, and perhaps even post a
notice on an internet message board such as Craigslist — but for
someone truly fascinated by the subject of wine, the opportunity to
taste an older wine can be something they will remember for a
lifetime. And that's regardless whether the wine turns out to be in
good condition or not — in my opinion, there's something to be said
for that moment of drama and suspense in opening just about any wine
older than 20 years or so. You just never know!
The wine will of course need to be decanted in order to separate the
good stuff from the sediment, but I wouldn't advise letting it
breathe for a long period of time before tasting. I would taste it
soon after decanting and then notice how it evolves the longer it is
exposed to air. And do stand the bottle upright for at least 24 hours
before uncorking, in order to allow the sediment to travel to the
bottom of the bottle. This makes decanting much easier.
I hope that helps — even though I have given you an "assignment"!
And, thank you once again for sharing your story and for reading
Relish every month. Please feel free to drop me a line to let me know
how your Krug Cabernet story turns out. I'll be looking forward to
hearing from you.
Warm regards,
Charles Smothermon
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