wine gone bad

[Randy Caparoso]

Tough one, Doug. Since neither you nor we know what a "good" bottle of Stag's Leap Chardonnay tastes to you, it's impossible for us to say. The bottle could have been god-awful, or it could be that you just don't like Stag's Leap Chardonnay.

Exactly what did the wine smell and taste like? It should have had the aroma of apples, cream and vanilla. What did it taste like? It should have been quite dry (no perceptive sweetness), yet lush in flavor, mouth-filling, slightly viscous in texture, with a low key lemon/citrus tartness.

If it kind of tasted like that, for your own pleasure I suggest that you explore other types of wine. Like an easy, fruity, slightly sweet and fragrant German Riesling. Or a dry, yet lighter (than a Chardonnay), fresh, crisp Fume Blanc from California, or Pinot Grigio or Soave from Italy. In other words, try some other things (preferably moderately priced, since you're experimenting) until you hit upon something that appeals to you.