Wines gone bad?

[Kobi]

Anyone know where I can check to see when to drink a bottle of wine before it goes bad? I have two bottles one a Pomerol from 1992 and a Premier Grand Cru Classe 1855 from 1978.

[Kcwhippet]

Welcome to the board, Kobi. Without knowing the actual wineries or how the bottles have been stored since release, it's difficult to make a real objective assessment. However, here are some generalities that apply. The 1992 vintage in Bordeaux overall was not that good, but Pomerol was better than the rest. That said the wine is probably past it's peak and on the down side. 1978 was a better year than 1992, and the wine may still have a hint of life left (barely) if it's been stored impeccably since release.

[Kobi]

Thanks for the info....The bottles I have are a 1992 Chateau L'EvanGile Pomerol and the other is a 1978 Chateau Margaux Grand Vin Premier Grand Cru Classse 1855. They have been stored in a dark cabinet that is kept cool in the house.

[dananne]

Hi, Kobi, and welcome.

When you say "dark cabinet that is kept cool in the house," do you mean that the cabinet is in a cool location in your temperature-controlled home, or that the cabinet itself is temperature-controlled? I ask, because keeping a wine at around 65-70*, which would be a "cool location" in many homes, isn't ideal for long-term cellaring, and a wine from 1978 likely wouldn't have been able to survive. Ideal storage temp is 57*, with little or no fluctuation, at 70* humidity.

However, there's only one way to check to see if either bottle still has life left [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

When you pop 'em, especially if it's a special occasion, make sure you've got a back-up wine in case they're gone.

Good luck, and I hope they still live! [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

[winoweenie]

Hi Kobi and welcome to the board. There's only one way to find out and that's the ole' poppin game. Good advice on the back-ups. I haven't had any 92s' that were memorable. Hopefully the L'Evangile will show its' great breeding and offer a marvewlous experience. WW