Can you "over-age" wine?

Question

Hi, I found a bunch of bottles of wine from 1997. I just tried some and was surprised to find that it's pretty yellow in color and didn't taste very wine-like--In fact, it's pretty undrinkable. I can't tell if it's the type or if it's "over-aged" or was stored in a bad place or something. It's "Semillon sur lie" by the way.

Answer 1

Wine turns to vinegar if oxygen gets into it. If it has a bad cork, is stored wrong, or of bad quality to begin with then it will essentially have gone bad.

Answer 2

depends on the wine. most average priced wines tend to be best close to when purchased. vintage and type of wine makes a difference, and how it was stored is a big factor-that's why collectors have wine cellars that are dark and temperature controlled. If it tastes like c**p, don't drink it!

Answer 3

If air got into the bottle (e.g. temperature fluctuations that cause expansion and contraction), the wine can go bad.

Answer 4

In Vino Veritas is speaking the truth. I would have said the exact same thing however (brevity being my weak point) it would have taken me three times longer to say it. He has the right answer perfectly and deserves the 10 points.

Answer 5

Yes, you can over age a wine. It is a total myth that all wines get better with age. Most wines are ready to drink whn eyou buy them and will get no better.

This is an 11 year old white wine; it is probably over the hill. White wine gets darker with age.

Some white wines will give pleasure with 11 years + age. Without knowing the wine in question or how it has been stored it is impossible to say whether it was an age worthy wine, chances are that it was not.

Some people like the taste of old wines, most don't. Simple rule of thumb is that if you don't like it, don't drink it.

Answer 6

Definitely!  Especially white wines, such as yours.  How the wine is constructed will determine the aging potential and recommended timeframe.

Semillon is a grape that does not age well (in fact, it is mainly used as a blending grape - and the "sur lie" just refers to the fact it was aged on the lees, i.e. dead yeast cells).

There are exceptions, of course, in the white area (Alsace, Burgundy, some high-quality Californian, eyc.), but the general rule is that reds age much better than whites do.

However, beware the point of diminishing returns!

Answer 7

if it's not stored properly (in a cool dark place) yeah it can turn to vinegar.

Answer 8

depends on how it is stored, but wine, like beer, can go skunky