Streuth Cor Blimey wrote:
> I have a single bottle of Chateau de la Gardine
> 1986
> Chateauneuf-du-Pape
>
> Has it been kept too long?
> What is or was the optimum date for consumption?
> Any suggestions for something to eat with this red wine?
> Thanks,
>

Ch. de la Gardine is a fairly rustic CdP, made in a relatively
straightforward style. I still have the '89 in my cellar, but '86 was
not as strong a year in the S. Rhone. I drank up the last of my '86
Beaucastel a number of years ago. So, I'd expect your wine (if stored
properly) to be a bit over the hill, but quite possibly still tasty.
I'd serve it with some form of bird (chicken, duck, quail, squab, goose)
either roasted or grilled (even lightly smoked). In such cases, it's
usually wise to have a backup bottle handy in the event that the wine is
dead or otherwise flawed.

Mark Lipton