2007 Clos des Papes Châteauneuf-du-Pape
Community Tasting Note
rocknroller wrote:
Wednesday, January 21, 2015 - Wednesday Nooner (Rocknroller's (Kevin & Vicki's Place)): Just an addendum to my note from 8/11/14. I had initially access this from 375ml via Coravin just to check in on it and at that time it was spectacular. Great classic nose and palate. Now 5 months later after storing in temp controlled fridge, we accessed it again. It was barely, and I mean barely, drinkable - if you were stranded on a desert island and had nothing else. Tasted sort of like it had heat damage and become stewed and pruned, sort of oxidized, but not exactly that either. I'm certainly glad it was only a 375, but still very disturbing.
Post a Comment / View rocknroller's profile1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (11,004 views)
4 comments have been posted
Post a Comment
/ View rocknroller's profile
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (11,004 views)
1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue (11,004 views)
Comment posted by Loren Sonkin:
1/22/2015 9:36:00 AM - Do you think the Coravin did not make an air tight seal?
Comment posted by rocknroller:
1/22/2015 11:36:00 AM - Hi Loren,
That would be my suspicion. I don't have any other explanation. There was about 2-3 drops worth of wine on the top of the capsule when I took out the bottle. I can't swear that it wasn't there from the initial access and I just didn't wipe it off, but I doubt it. I always give the bottle at least 24 hours upright before I lay them back down too.
Comment posted by Seafoam Manor:
1/22/2015 11:37:00 AM - If you haven't, you may want to switch to the smaller needle. It take longer to pour a glass, but I've had less problems with oxidation and bottles just being generally off. Older corks seem to be worse at handling extraction. I had an '88 Climens that was actually leaking through the needle hole in the cork. I'm still a believer in the Coravin, but it isn't perfect.
Comment posted by rocknroller:
1/22/2015 3:41:00 PM - At the time the smaller needle was not available. I am currently using that needle. I also had an older bottle (with the original needle) that pushed the cork right into the bottle. I still like the Coravin for short term use on moderately priced bottles, but I am becoming more reluctant to use it on anything old or expensive unless I intend to consume it over a very short window, perhaps 1-2 weeks tops. I have had Sauternes that have held up well for many months, but that's Sauternes! Hopefully the narrower needle will resolve these types of issues. But I don't know if I can trust it any longer in one of the ways I was most looking forward to, ie. accessing old/expensive bottles and just drinking a glass and drinking them over months or ever longer. Maybe I'm starting to get paranoid, but maybe I'm not. Some of the problems certainly relate to the status of the cork, but there's really no way to determine ahead of time whether the cork is pliable enough to reseal properly.