Wine Question...
May 30, 2010 3:10 PM Subscribe
Wine Question: I've got a bottle of 2003 Radford Dale Gravity, Stellenbosch, South Africa. Is it still "good"?
Why wouldn't it be "good" ? Did you get it really hot (or expose it to any fluctuations in temperature)? Has it been standing up vertically for seven years? If not, there's no reason it shouldn't still be fine to drink (well, as fine as it ever was, anyway).
posted by solipsophistocracy at 3:23 PM on May 30, 2010
posted by solipsophistocracy at 3:23 PM on May 30, 2010
I was going to just say ... "Open it and see," but those answers would probably be removed.
That sounds flip, but it's pretty much always the best answer for "is this older red still good." A wine that's past its best is still generally still drinkable. Worst case scenario is you open it and it smells musty and you don't drink it. Even if the cork looks nasty, open it and give it a sniff/little sip, because it might be fine. Spoiled wine generally isn't offensive on the level of spoiled milk or contaminated fruit juice. (This is an Internet forum, so someone has seen spoiled wine that was the equivalent of corpse juice and it put their aunt in a coma, but that's not how it generally works.)
If you're intending to give it as a gift to someone who likes wine, just mention that you're not sure of the storage conditions but you're hoping it's great.
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:55 PM on May 30, 2010
That sounds flip, but it's pretty much always the best answer for "is this older red still good." A wine that's past its best is still generally still drinkable. Worst case scenario is you open it and it smells musty and you don't drink it. Even if the cork looks nasty, open it and give it a sniff/little sip, because it might be fine. Spoiled wine generally isn't offensive on the level of spoiled milk or contaminated fruit juice. (This is an Internet forum, so someone has seen spoiled wine that was the equivalent of corpse juice and it put their aunt in a coma, but that's not how it generally works.)
If you're intending to give it as a gift to someone who likes wine, just mention that you're not sure of the storage conditions but you're hoping it's great.
posted by Mayor Curley at 3:55 PM on May 30, 2010
Here's a page that quotes a wine advocate review claiming "Projected maturity 2009-2017", and with a user review from last summer claiming "Can definitely stand a few more years in the cellar." So, assuming it was stored properly, it should certainly be fine.
posted by Perplexity at 3:58 PM on May 30, 2010
posted by Perplexity at 3:58 PM on May 30, 2010
That sounds flip, but it's pretty much always the best answer for "is this older red still good."
I prefer 'it won't kill you', but anyway, what Mayor Curley said. Home cellaring is a crapshoot, so probably best to drink it yourself than pass it on. If it's been kept cool, dark and horizontal for the past seven years, give it another five. Or drink it when you feel like it.
posted by holgate at 7:14 PM on May 30, 2010
I prefer 'it won't kill you', but anyway, what Mayor Curley said. Home cellaring is a crapshoot, so probably best to drink it yourself than pass it on. If it's been kept cool, dark and horizontal for the past seven years, give it another five. Or drink it when you feel like it.
posted by holgate at 7:14 PM on May 30, 2010
Most Sauv Blanc is not made to be stored beyond a few years. Yours might still be drinkable--notice I say might--but it isn't going to taste like what you expect a Sauv Blanc to taste like.
posted by Short Attention Sp at 4:19 AM on May 31, 2010
posted by Short Attention Sp at 4:19 AM on May 31, 2010
It largely depends - as it does for any wine - on how well it's been looked after. The temperature arguably matters less than what temperature fluctutions it has been subjected to.
This was the first vintage and according to Platters, the SA wine bible, was "imnpressive". They raved about the 2005 vintage, FYI.
A lot of South African blends are designed to be laid down for 7-10 years and this will likely peak between now and 2013 IMHO. After that it would have to be fairly exceptional to be at its best and I would think 2017 would be optimistic if you wanted to drink it at its best.
* On that note opened up a long forgotten 1995 South African Bordeaux blend last night and while drinkable it was definitely past its best.
posted by MuffinMan at 9:46 AM on May 31, 2010
This was the first vintage and according to Platters, the SA wine bible, was "imnpressive". They raved about the 2005 vintage, FYI.
A lot of South African blends are designed to be laid down for 7-10 years and this will likely peak between now and 2013 IMHO. After that it would have to be fairly exceptional to be at its best and I would think 2017 would be optimistic if you wanted to drink it at its best.
* On that note opened up a long forgotten 1995 South African Bordeaux blend last night and while drinkable it was definitely past its best.
posted by MuffinMan at 9:46 AM on May 31, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Not sure why you think this wouldn't be good. As long as it has been stored properly it should be decent. I say decent because the reviews have it as being slightly above average.
It should still be drinkable. You could also probably sit on it for another 7 years.
Was there a reason you were questioning it's drinkability?
posted by cjorgensen at 3:19 PM on May 30, 2010