2003 Rosenblum "Oakley Vineyards" Zinfandel

[hotwine]

I've also been leary of the bottle-shock idea, but have noticed differences in a couple of recent wines that are probably attributable to that. One was the Villa Rosso Barolo and the other one of your recs, the Illuminati Riparosso, both of which I buy in small lots of 2-6 bottles each, rather than by the case. I pick both of them up when I see them, so they go into storage (and the database) at different times; since the database shows the date of purchase for a particular bottle, based on its storage location, it's easy to see which bottle was purchased most recently. Have definitely noticed that one of those consumed on the day of purchase is flatter with less vibrant fruit than one that has rested in storage for at least a week.

The constant self-inflicted blows to the forehead are giving me a flat spot there...

But how to remedy that problem for travel, as in your case? I sure don't know.