Corked bottle spoils the evening

Dinner at a friend's home.

1998 Leeuwin Chardonnay Art Series - I took this out after cellaring for a number of years. It drank beautifully. Very floral, with minerals, lemon, woodsy, ripe, sweet and buttery. I think I'm gonna keep buying Leeuwin Chards young and cellar them for 10 years or more...

2008 Descendientes de J Palacios Petalos - this was an interesting wine made from Mencía, with nose of forest, pine needle and tarragon. Spicy, a little sweet and very concentrated on the palate.

1997 Penfolds RWT - this bottle was freakin' corked... I was really, really upset, as this was my last remaining bottle of this first vintage. I don't run into corked wines that often - maybe it's my lack of sensitivity to TCA - but this makes 2 nights in a row. Too corked to be saved by plastic wrap or more aeration...

2000 Sociando-Mallet - what a beautiful, classic claret! Lots of smoke, minerals and earth in the nose along with some fruit. Very lovely.