Criteria
We decided to evaluate the "VacuVin Vacum Wine Saver" pump system, the Private Preserve nitrogen spray system and the good old "stick the cork in the bottle and put the wine in the 'fridge" system.
For a test subject, we choose the Columbia Crest Grand Estate Merlot based upon it's remarkable consistency.
Columbia Crest Grand Estate Merlot 1998 Columbia Valley, Washington $11
What the Wine Critics thought: Wine Spectator 89 points
Juicy and lively, appealing for its beautifully articulated berry, cherry and delicately herbal flavors, picking up some spicy-smoky notes on the polished finish. Tannins are present but not too powerful. A serious wine for the price. Drink now through 2004.
What we thought: No foo foo Merlot here! This is a serious bottle of wine, better suited to food than sipping. A classic cigar box nose with claret-like dark fruit nuances is followed by a medium-bodied wine that has big fruit character without being jammy, and solid but soft tannins that give it complexity not often found at $11. We really liked it... a lot! Just don't expect a typical California fruit bomb... this wine has character and complexity.
We started with 3 bottles for the initial test on the first night, and then opened a new control bottle for comparison on the night of the "preservation taste off."
A Wine Guy Note - A Price Gouging Award: Of course, I forgot to take the control bottle home on the night of the preservation taste off, and had to stop at Kroger to buy a bottle. And, while they sell the grocery store Columbia Crest Merlot for $8 (about right) they charged me $16.95 for The Grand Estate Merlot that should sell for $11 to $12! Caveat Emptor!
Procedure
We opened the first 3 bottles on Wednesday night and used a glass and a half from each bottle, leaving equal amounts in each bottle at about a 2/3rd level. We then pumped one out, used the gas on a second and stuck a cork in the third. The corked bottle was placed in the refrigerator and the two preserved bottles were left on the counter at room temperature. Friday night, 48 hours later, we brought the refrigerated bottle back to room temperature, and opened all four bottles (including the very expensive "control bottle")
Results
Control Bottle
The fresh bottle exhibited all the same characteristics we observed in our original review last November as well as the three test bottles on Wednesday night. We tasted from the control bottle before tasting each of the preserved wines.
The Recorked and Refrigerated Bottle (Free and you get what you pay for)
Nose: No amount of swirling or coaxing could resurrect any hint of cedar or fruit from the nose of this wine. Only faint suggestion of cedar remained if you were willing to swirl long enough, it was otherwise completely flat.
Palate: All evidence of tannic structure had disappeared from the wine and only a suggestion of the rich, dark fruit remained on the palate. We found it to be completely characterless and actually wound up pouring the remainder down the sink.
Conclusion: In our judgment this wine was DOA - dead, flat and tasteless. We gave it a "Percent of Preservation" score of 20% to 25%. Down the drain!!
The Private Preserve Nitrogen Preserved Bottle ($8.95, enough for 120 Bottles)
Nose: Our first impression was that the nose was almost as dead as the refrigerated bottle. Then, after moment of swirling it came back to life. Not as vibrant as the fresh bottle, but with plenty of solid cigar box and dark fruit Merlot character.
Palate: The tannins had softened substantially and the fruit was certainly not as pronounced as the original but overall the wine was still eminently drinkable.
Conclusion: While this wine had certainly lost some of its edge, it was still very enjoyable. We gave it a "Percent of Preservation" score of 65% to 70%
The VacuVin Pump Preserved Bottle ($10.95 with one reusable cork)
Nose: The most frequent criticism of the VacuVin I hear is that pumping the oxygen out damages the aroma of the wine. Our experience was exactly the opposite. The nose on the pumped wine was almost indiscernible from the nose on the fresh bottle. It was fresh, full of fruit and cedar and very much alive.
Palate: The tannins on this bottle were still firm by comparison to the gassed bottle, but showed some deterioration against the fresh wine. The preservation of the fruit was at about the same level as the gassed bottle, leaving plenty of good dark fruit character to enjoy. .
Conclusion: The well-preserved nose and preservation of the tannins added a lot to this wines enjoyment. We gave it a "Percent of Preservation" score of 75% to 80%
Final Conclusion: Considering the on-going cost of the Nitrogen system, the VacuVin system seemed to clearly be not only the best preservation system, but the best value. As for the "cork and refrigerate" system - either drink it all or just pour it out - life is too short for bad wine!
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March 6, 2002
