'94 Rombauer

[MikeE]

Yikes! What happened here? I usually enjoy Romabauer's offerings, including their Merlots. I'd had the '94 a couple years ago and thought that it showed great promise.

So, we opened my last remaining bottle and yuck! It was dusty, barky, vegetal... bad bottle? I don't know if I've ever had a "corked" wine before... is this what happened? There was almost no discernable fruit. It has been stored properly, so that's not an issue.

BTW, we were up at the winery in January and loved both their '96 regular and their '95 Reserve merlots. They also make a very nice, drinkable Cab Franc for those interested.

ME

[Jason]

Sounds like you got a stinker. You're right these guys usually do a very good job, especially on the reds.

[Van The Man]

Mike -

Prolly a bad bottle although I would say that this wine's ageing potential isn't much past 5 to 7 years.

You'll know a "corked" bottle when you get one. Think of wet, moldy cardboard and then you'll know what a corked bottle is like.

Oh, one other possibility, was the storage good? Was there any seepage at the top of the cork? These can be warning signs that O2 got to the wine and that would certainly do it in.