Would you buy?

[Triple H]

Sams Club has the 2000 Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot for about $7.50/bottle. This is one of my favorite low cost wines and although it's very consistent from vintage to vintage, the 2000 was especialy nice IMHO. They've also got the 2001 (same price) sitting right next to the 2000. I'd buy a case of the 2000 at that price, but I'm concerned that they've spent nearly 2 years sitting upright in a wherehouse. Any thoughts?

[newsguy]

Triple H: my advice would be to buy a bottle of the 2000 ASAP, open it that night, and if it's not on the downslope, go back the next day and buy a case. that's what i always do when i'm unsure about how a wine has been stored. i've found these C.C. merlots tend to be at their best 5 years after the vintage year, so the '00s should be at the top of their game this year. i've also found they don't hold at their peak for long (very little tannin in there). so, again, i'd check out a bottle of the '00 before investing more. a year sitting at warmer temperatures could have aged this nice little wine more than you'd like.

[Triple H]

Good idea, buying one at that price certainly can't hurt. I'll let you know.

thanks!

[Triple H]

Bought one bottle, I'm not very good at describing wines, but it had a medium body, a subdued nose of black fruit. Not overly exciting on the palate, not bad tasking just not what I would expect. The cork had s little red penetration, but not what I would expect for being in a bottle for 3 or 4 years. My guess is improper storage may have sped up the aging process.

[Innkeeper]

The 2000 Merlot should still be good, but possibly beginning to fade. It sounds like this one got cooked.