WTN: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Jury

If anybody’s up for a bit of sleuthing, I offer the following: With the intent of participating in the Coteaux du Languedoc tasting on our Wine Focus web site, I popped open a 2003 Pic St. Loup about an hour ago. I had purchased this last week at my favorite wine shop noted for good storage conditions and a selection that appeals to enthusiasts. The estate is a reputable one (i.e., Chateau de Lancyre). The cork was a standard one; it was neither protruding nor was it excessively penetrated on the nether end by the red wine (about a uniform millimeter). I tasted it in a small, Burgundy-shaped round bowl at about 60 degrees F.

The aroma revealed alcohol with just the tiniest hint of red fruit. The palate was dominated by a very sharp bitterness with a generic sweetness playing a bit part. The finish is short revealing a touch of oxidative flavor. That’s it.

I re-corked the bottle after the smallish pour and placed it in the refrigerator. I intend to delay re-tasting it until tomorrow at about this time of day, and will write another note. So what gives here? What do you think I could expect tomorrow?

Dave Mo

First of all, take it out of the fridge or it will be too cold. Tasting the next day does nor require refrigeration. Refrigeration hinders the whole point of waiting until the next day.

I can sort of vaguely remember one or two bottles pretty much like that. As I remember, they didn't improve, nor did they kill the redwood tree that I poured them out under.

Well, I gave it another taste this morning after leaving it out on the kitchen counter overnight. It lives!

A plum-like fruit bouquet has emerged with only the slightest hint of alcohol on the nose. Perhaps something a bit savory (menthol or eucalyptis?) as well as a touch of garrigue in there as well. The wine has broadened considerably on the palate, with a decent finish emerging. Much of the tannin has resolved nicely though a greenish bite remains. Primary red fruit flavors. I wonder if the tannic bite might be a hallmark of the 2003 vintage? At any rate, it is much more interesting on the nose than on the palate at this stage.

Upon tasting this yesterday, I suspected that it was corked given the absence of any fruit flavors or aromas. However the characteristic TCA profile was not present. Thus the reason I presented to the forum as an open question for discussion.

At $16 for the bottle, I wouldn't go out and buy this again right away. However I'll give it more time on the counter and taste again this eve.

Thanks for the comments.

Dave Mo