Aleksander 2008 Chambourcin
I buy a lot of Ontario wine and as a result I have quite a few bottles in my cellar. This really shouldn’t be a problem but this summer after buying a few cases of wine on a weekend trip to Niagara I realized that I had no more room. My cellar was full.
I know, I know a problem that many might be happy to have.
My problem is that while I had the best intension to inventory every bottle in my cellar, I never got around to doing it. This has lead to some exciting surprises when I grab a bottle of wine that I didn’t know I had.
I do buy wines to cellar. I enjoy aged wines but not every wine is meant to be put away for an extended period of time.
While making room in the cellar for the bottles I brought home from Niagara I came across some interesting wines that needed to be opened.
Aleksander 2008 Chambourcin
This 2008 Chambourcin from Aleksandar Estate Winery in Lake Erie north Shore was one of them.
I opened a bottle of this wine some six years ago. My tasting notes from June 2009 (click link).
In the glass the juice was clear, with very little colour change. There was a hint of oxidation on the nose. Impressed that the red cherry and cranberry fruits were still present.
I would never have recommended keeping this wine for 6 years however this one surprised me. It was still drinkable. Opened a year ago the oxidative fault may not have been there. Not that I would expect you have any in your cellar, but if by chance you do …. Drink ‘em up now!