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TN: Competition for worst wine of year closes early

Betsy was getting in late, I made dinner (reprise of the garlic baked chicken, plus broccoli and pasta w/pesto). Unoaked Chardonnay worked well last time, so I opened a recent gift, the 2002 Plunkett "Blackwood Ridge" Unwooded Chardonnay (Victoria). Whoa! What the hell! Enormous nose, but unfortunately of plastic, nail polish remover, and rotting fruit. The plastic and fruit battle valiantly, but the nail polish remover easily cruises in as dominant flavor. David doesn't normally join us in wine, but smells this and says "industrial waste." It really dominates conversation, with Betsy and David curious to how such an awful wine could get bottled (sadly, since I love to be pedantic, I have no idea). I let it rest a while, and it does get a bit better- going from NASTY NASTY NASTY to merely "nasty." I'll be generous and give it a D-

Luckily we still had some 2004 Brun Beaujolais out. Went ok with the chicken.

Grade disclaimer: I'm a very easy grader, basically A is an excellent wine, B a good wine, C mediocre. Anything below C means I wouldn't drink at a party where it was only choice. Furthermore, I offer no promises of objectivity, accuracy, and certainly not of consistency.

Reply to
DaleW
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Well, interesting:... Pedantic...not likely.

Reply to
Richard Neidich

It sounds like an ageing issue. Probably too much TA in the wine following malo ferment. Probably the wrong acid was used, in conjunction with no sulfites prior to bottling. All sums up to a spoiled wine. Wines of this type would be fine for the first few months after bottling, but quickly spoil.

Better luck next time.

David

Reply to
Dave

Sorry re double post.

So I left some in glass and recorked bottle. This morning the VA in glass had blown off (volatile after all) , leaving behind oxidized fruit. What was in bottle still reeked of VA, with the added bonus of the oxidized smell of cooked apples. I've certainly seen wines (old style Riojas) where there was some variability of the volatile acidity, but even the "bad" bottles never approached this. This is the kind of outright faulty wine that one doesn't see much of anymore.

Reply to
DaleW

Well, I think when I give a gift it lets my friends know what I think of them.

Your friends did exactly that. Defective wine for a defective....

With friends like that ...who really needs enemies.

Reply to
Richard Neidich

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