2007-06-13 11:50:06 · 8 answers · asked by flatch40 1 in Food & Drink ➔ Beer, Wine & Spirits
Chateau de la Gardine is one of the best winemaker in Chateauneuf du Pape.
1987 is an interesting vintage. However it is not one of the best. 1988 or 1989 are better.
A bottle of Chateauneuf du Pape should mature between 5 and 20 years for the best vintages.
Therefore the bottle has maybe past its optimum condition but still should be drinkable. Although you should drink it before 2007.
The bottle does not have a lot of value as the vintage is not one of the best and the wine has past its best.
2007-06-13 12:39:49 · answer #1 · answered by padua76 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
1987 was an absolutely horrendous vintage for the Southern Rhone, which is where your Chateauneuf du Pape hails from, so I sincerely doubt there is any redemption for the wine, even the very best of the lot reached their peak drinkability back around 1996. Even Beaucastel, the area's most renowned producer, completely tanked in '87. Chat du Papes from great vintages, like 1998, 2000, 2001, 2003-5, are capable of lasting for decades, though! Too bad your bottles wasn't an '89, they're drinking fabulously!
Chateauneuf du Pape means "New Castle of the Pope", and harkens back to when the Pope sat in Avignon, not in Rome. It can be comprised of up to 13 grape varietals, the best known and dominant being Grenache, Syrah (Shiraz) and Mourvedre. There are WHITE Chat du Papes, too, but they're less common and typically only last 2-3 years.
My advice to you, since the bottle is likely worthless unless it's from a top chateau and a collector wants it just fro the bottle, is to open it and see what it reveals to you. Do NOT let it "breathe" long or decant it, wines like this are really fragile and you're lucky if it has 20 minutes of life in it before it completely fades. I have opened bottles of 1967 Bordeaux (really bad vitnage for Bordeaux) that thoroughly surprised me by their drinkability, so why not give it a try!
By the way, it is insane to think there is something wrong with drinking something in an even year. Even more so than thinking a 20 year old bottle of wine will be vinegar! Case in point: Anyone lucky and wealthy enough to get their hands on a 2005 Chateau Lafite will still be able to drink it with confidence over 40 years from now! Vintage plays a HUGE role in wine!
2007-06-13 12:52:37 · answer #2 · answered by Vino Vixen 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's definitely past peak, but don't let anyone convince you that it's disgusting. It just won't be mindblowing. Unlike California wines, for French wines the vintage is very important. This is due to the weather, which is not as good, and a number of regulations on what the producer can do to manipulate the wine if the weather is less than favorable.
If you have any interest in the wines of Chateauneuf, consider collecting some 1989, 1990, or 1998 and keeping them in a temperate, cool place that is not too dry. A mature Chateauneuf from a good vintage is quite tasty.
2007-06-13 13:15:57 · answer #3 · answered by Karoline M 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
1987 Wine
2016-11-01 09:12:19 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Look at the label "appelation-----------------controlee",what name is printed in the gap.If it's the name of a vineyard,it could be precious,if it's just chateauneuf-du-pape without the name of a vineyard then open it.
2007-06-13 11:59:16 · answer #5 · answered by siaosi 5 · 1⤊ 1⤋
It all depends if you care for the taste of vinegar
2007-06-13 11:59:00 · answer #6 · answered by xyz 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
i woul check and see if it has any value first if not cheers
korkie
2007-06-17 11:24:37 · answer #7 · answered by korkie 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
give it another year. its bad luck to open wine on an even year.
2007-06-13 11:57:21 · answer #8 · answered by jp_cosby 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋