What’s Wrong with this Picture?

Just today, I was shopping at a local grocery store and saw this view from below.

I know it’s not a great picture, but this (Pahlmeyer) is a beautiful wine.  It is the 2009 vintage, which garnered very high scores from both the Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator.  So what is wrong here?  Well, it is 2013 (almost 2014), and this lovely bottle appears to have been on their top shelf for almost four years standing upright.  The first problem is that heat rises, and wines really like to be kept cool. Secondly, and more importantly, the cork will dry out in this upright position.  And here’s the problem with a dried cork — more air will get into the bottle, which increases the chances that the wine will be oxidized (meaning it was exposed to too much oxygen).  That’s not good for any wine.  The flavors will be muted and bitter; the nose will be faint, if there’s any at all.  This really does depend on the degree of oxidation, yet why take a chance on an expensive wine (this bottle retails for $150, minimum) and not have the full pleasure of what should be a great experience.

I saw this when I was on a business trip and looking for an interesting wine to enjoy while on the road.

Shafer is one of the great wines out of the Napa Valley.  Robert Parker stated that he considered this winery to be one of the top 10 in the world.  Hillside Select from Shafer is the wine they are best known for, and it should be a beautiful expression of the vineyard and a wonderful wine experience.  Well-kept, I can assure you, this is a wonderful bottle – yet not stored this way.  I inquired with the staff and was told that these beauties had been standing their ground (upright) for over two years.  The climate in the area is dry (a high altitude), and the store was not that cool.  It was truly a shame to see these bottles treated that way.

So, what’s my point?  These are not bottles you choose every day.  But, when you look for that special aged bottle, please make sure that it has been lying down.  This will assure you that the cork has remained wet from being in contact with the wine, and the wine has aged slowly.  Make sure, as well, that the temperature it has been held at is not too warm.  Truth be told, unless a wine is stored at 60 degrees or less, it will fade.  That goes for old or new, but older wines obviously will have had more time to fade.  I am sure you want the most vibrant flavor your bottle has to offer – so do not buy wine that has not been held well.

What if you get a bad bottle?  Well, I recommend that you do not suffer through it.  If a wine is “corked” (it smells and taste like wet cardboard), put that cork back in and take it back to the outlet that you purchased it from.  All reputable suppliers will replace a bad bottle.  That goes for wine that is oxidized, too.  Quite frankly, I only buy from retailers that I trust to treat their bottles with care.  The only bottles that I will purchase that are standing up are young wines, and young wines for me are recent releases, current vintages.  Please do not suffer through bad tasting wine that has not been held well!

Enjoy!