The trickiest thing about storing wine for that long (without decent climate-controlled storage) is whether the cork will have leaked, and let in too much oxygen (turning the result to vinegar). In my experience, 1 of 2 makes it this long. And that's assuming you can get the cork out in one piece, too, which almost never happens, this bottle included. You wind up using a strainer to filter out little pieces.
But when a bottle does make it, the experience of interacting with it is pretty remarkable. The young explosion of ripe fruit is all gone, of course... that's expected. But what it leaves in it's place is the interesting part. This one laid down nicely and survived the years (and the cross-country moves) quite well. Surprisingly it still has some tannin (albeit that disappears within a few minutes in the glass), with hints of tobacco on the nose and almost a brandy-like finish. Smooth.
It just goes to show you that "old" can be quite satisfying, not to mention intriguing. Naturally, I knew that already, from substantial personal experience. ;)
Happy New Year! (from a well-aged collector of wine experiences.)
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