how long can a bottle of madiera be open for before going bad??

WINE TALK
1

i used to think it was forever, but ive had this bottle open for maybe 6 months and it seems to have lost its complexity and gotten a little flat.
is this normal? is it me??

2

Wow - I do not think I have taken longer than a week to polish off a bottle. How could you be surprised at anything fading after 6 months?

3

Forever. The stuff is indestructible. And delicious.

4

Hopefully Andy V or Roy will jump in here but I’ve been told quite a long time as its one of those already completely oxidized wines like those from soleras.

5

I have had several very old bottles open for more than a year each and they were Maxwell House good to the very last drop.

6

Pretty much forever, depending.

But what type of Madeira was it?

7

thanks everyone so far.
i guess i should have mentioned the bottle. a 5 year bual from cossart gordon.

i opened it a while ago and have a glass every now and again. it just seems to have lost some of its richness and complexity. still tasty though.

8

And I think when folks talk about this kind of wine lasting forever, they are normally referring to a vintage Madeira that has been “cask-aged” for an extended period of time. Not sure how the aging/heating regimen differs for a 5 year old reserve, and that could be one reason why this particular wine will not last as long once opened, but I am only speculating here.

9

thanks bob. i wasnt sure if there was a difference, i know that this bottle is pretty entry level so i shouldnt expect too much. i was just kind of shocked that it has declined.

10

actually i also have a bottle of cream sherry from parump winery in nevada. thats been open for about two years now. i should check in on that too!

11

5 yo wines are universally matured in estufa (baked at 50-60 degrees C for 4-6 weeks). These wines will not have the longevity of a cantero (cask aged in a loft) wine. These probably won’t hold much after opening. The real vintage stuff can last years. Mannie Berk of the Rare Wine Co. has over a dozen which he keeps in his kitchen sealed with a tee type stopper. He says with no loss. I do think you need to keep the wine stoppered, else you lose the aromatics with time. [imnewhere.gif]