Red wine - at what point does it spoil?

Garzorico

Afternoon folks,

I came across a couple of bottles of red wine at the back of the press earlier having been stored in an upright position. They are both Rioja.

1. Faustino I Gran Reserva 2009
2. Conde Valdemar Reserva 2012

I haven’t a breeze about wine and my question is can these bottles be drunk now and also how long can they be kept before they spoil?

the beer revolu

It won't spoil in terms of making you sick. It will just deteriorate in quality.

I'd imagine they'd both be within their drinking window unless the cork has dried out in them.

Only real answer is to taste them and see. If they taste good, drink them, if not chuck them away.

odyssey06

They might already have gone... if left stored upright the cork might have dried out. You would have nice cooking wine :(

If the cork hasn't dried out, might still be ok if higher alcohol percentage around 14% than say 12%.

In theory a 2009 Gran Reserva should age well, and a 2012 Reserva ready for drinking - if stored properly.

https://www.winespectator.com/vintage-charts/region/rioja

odyssey06

One other point - there may be some sediment at the bottom so given you're concerned about its storage don't decant it as that much oxygen might be too much for a frail old wine. Just leave the last dregs in the bottle.

1percent

Open them and give them a sniff, you will know very quickly if they are are OK to drink. I just bought a house and the previous owner left a few bottles in the wine rack. They had been there for a while I say from the layer of dust and the years on them, obviously not a wine drinker. So I have worked my way through them, 2 were gone and went down the drain but the others were fine and quite nice.

If they smell musty, like old damp newspaper that's it dump them.

Hotblack Desiato

Faustino I is definitely a wine intended for ageing, at Christmas we had a 2010 or 2011 (bought less than a year before) and it was lovely. But it is better that wine is stored at an even temperature and close to horizontal to ensure the cork doesn't dry out.

This is where wine snobbery kicks in. I've never had a bad bottle with a plastic cork or screw top, but wine snobs dictate that any wine which doesn't have a "real cork" (although most of them are made from reconstituted cork) is inferior.

the beer revolu

That isn't describing wine snobs. It's just describing people who don't know what they are talking about.

Much as I like screwcaps on wine, I kinda hate plastic corks. Just use a screwcap if you aren't going to use a natural, breathable cork!