It’s interesting to me that people don’t name the wineries that are on the (IMO) wrong side of this by not offering a refund/replacement.
I’ve never had an issue with returning a corked a mailing list wine. Every time the winery has been happy to throw a bottle in with the next shipment. It’s only happened 3 times that I can think of.
Corked wines (and other flawed wines, mailing list and otherwise) should be replaced.
I agree. I would fully expect them to refund/replace a corked bottle regardless of how long. That bottle was dead the instant they used that cork and there should be no issue with them replacing it. To make someone feel guilty about it is ridiculous.
I mean, I’m ok with them wanting people to send it back in…I’m ok with them being a bit cautious…you have to gauge the situation…but certainly a regular customer (which is what mailing list customers tend to be) you have to be smart enough to figure they’re not trying to pull one over on you…
I mean, they know approximately what % of corks will be infected…surely their business model includes replacing those defective products you have released…
I don’t think I have ever been refused a replacement.
My shout our goes to Snowden. Several years ago I had a corked 07 Ranch. I contacted them, just so they would be aware in case they heard from other people. I specifically told them that they did not need to replace the bottle. They not only replaced it but also sent a 96 Reserve from the private cellar.
Those are great wines and great people.
As much as our exchange pissed me off, I hesitate to ‘out’ them on the board because someone who knows us both tells me the owners are good guys. Who knows…maybe the one who emailed me has some bad shit going on and would otherwise have been more reasonable. I’ve moved on and don’t feel a need to trash publicly them on the Internet, but will certainly let people know who want to reach out via PM.
I only return flawed bottles at retail if it was a relatively recent purchase. I know I really could return older bottles, but I feel funny about it.
But I usually do let a winery know if a bottle I purchased directly is flawed, primarily because I think it is information they should have. In every case (except one), the winery has graciously offered to replace the bottle or refund my money. The lone exception was Dominus, which gave me a very hard time and required my shipping the bottle back to them on my own dime (not easy to find a one bottle shipper not to mention the legality). Then after they received the flawed bottle a week after I opened it, they told me their “tests” were inconclusive since the bottle had been open for so long/oxidized!!! Obviously I will never buy another bottle of that wine again.
Matthiasson did a quick refund for a corked 2011 Cabernet. More fine customer service from them.
I have returned corked wines when purchased locally at retail. No questions asked in all instances. I contacted a mailing list winery only once about damaged wine (severe smoke taint) and was given a refund. I’ve had very few corked bottles from mailing list sources compared to those purchased at retail.
Larry, CT shows that I have consumed 137 of the 169 bottles of Tercero that I’ve purchased. And not a single one has been corked…so far. 
My last 3 bottles that were corked were marked as such on CT. In 2 of the cases, the winery contacted me with an offer to replace, proactively. Talk about customer service!
I had a corked Cayuse I got from the mailing list and told them about. They immediately send me a refund as assume they didn’t have 08 Cailloux sitting around 
I purchase from a small number of local retailers in wine locked Mass, and return every corked bottle that’s about $20 or more.
I would stop patronizing any retailer that refused a corked bottle return, but so far every single one has been happy to make an exchange or refund.
The situation would likely be different if I purchased from any Tom, Dick or Harry dot.com, so perhaps there’s something to be said for having to buy locally!
I haven’t yet had the experience of a corked bottle purchased years and years and years ago (triple fingers crossed so don’t jinx me!), and might contact the winery first in such a situation.
Corked bottles should be replaced but I don’t think anyone is to blame.
Does SQN replace corked bottles? I’ve not had a corked SQN but I’ve seen a few notes on corked bottles from them and was wondering if anyone had a positive experience?
Interesting observation, Chris . . . ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Well . . . .
Here’s my ‘issue’ with this. We’re dealing with a consumer product that was purchased. The cork company ‘unknowingly’ provided a product that was already faulty upon receipt by the winery. The winery either ‘trusted’ or had ‘tested’ that his specific batch of corks ‘should be okay’, knowing that there was still a chance this would happen.
As an industry, both on the consumer and producer side, if we continue to accept this fault as a ‘part of the process’, then nothing will change. There is no impetus to do so. The only ‘impetus’ that matters is $$$, and the cork industry is now reacting to how ‘alternative closures’ have readily eroded their market shares over the past 5 years.
If consumers do not speak up about corked wines, and most don’t, how will we, as an industry, truly understand what ‘corked’ rates are? Top that with the fact that most consumers have no clue what TCA is, and I have to believe that TCA rates continue to exist on the higher rate of the ranges provided.
And what gets me more than anything else is that the winery who bends over backwards to replace these bottles oftentimes at great costs to them in the name of customer service are not compensated at all by the cork companies - yet it is NOT the wineries’ fault, except that they purchased a ‘potentially faulty’ product in the first place . . .
Cheers.
And for those who post on CT or elsewhere, do you also let the winery know? MOST wineries are not active on CT or on these boards . . . just curious.
Cheers
I recently had a badly corked bottle of 2009 Ridge Lytton Estate Petite Sirah. I emailed TomHill who got me in touch with Mary from Ridge. Mary was a pleasure to work with and quickly sent me a replacement bottle. One more reason why Ridge continues to be my favorite winery.
I bought a three pack of tablas creek 2007 esprit de beaucastel from retail. I had the wines stored in proper conditions for several years. Upon opening two of the bottles were off. On had a lots of secondary fermentation and one was corked. The third was awesome. I called the retailer who didn’t offer anything. Tablas creek replaced the bottles based on my word. A great example of exemplary customer service.
I wonder what happens if you get a corked bottle of Maison Ilan. Will they refund your money? 