How long will a bottle of champagne last?

I have a nice bottle of French Champagne (redundant?) that I received in December of 2002. I am thinking about opening it soon but I was afraid that it might have gone flat or bad.

Does anyone know how long a bottle of Champagne, kept in a dark, cool place, will last and what are the signs of spoiled champagne?

Much Thanks

Around me, will not last long...badda bing !

Sorry. Hat, coat....

Don't be frightened. A couple of years in the bottle is nothing for a Champagne, it spends most of its life like that.

The signs of bad Champagne are that it is flat and does not taste nice. Provided that it has spent most of its life laying horizontal so that the cork is kept moist, your drink is likely to be as good as it was when bottled.

Bob

Sparkling wines, such as champagne, should be stored upright, not horizontal.

Link: http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

I would appreciate knowing your source about storing champagne. I have always been instructed that any corked wine should be stored on it's side so that the cork will not dry out.

Melanie Wong IS the source.

My goodness. I think you're right.

Per the thread linked in my post above, Champagne's professional body, Comite Interprofessionel du Vin de Champagne (CIVC), is the source of the research. When the results were announced some years ago, it was almost shocking because it went against eons of conventional wisdom about wine storage. Remember, this applies to sparkling wines only.

Link: http://www.collectors.com/articles/article_view.chtml?artid=1368

Image: http://www.champagne.fr/fr/portail/im...

Thanks for saving or knowing where to find that article. I did not see it when it came out and this is the first time I've heard about it. I am a wine collector but don't normally store sparkling wines. Nontheless it is still good to have the knowledge.

Melanie you anticipated my next question. Thanks.

A vintage champagne will under good to ideal conditions last about 13 years. If you are serving this to guests and you have any doubts at all it is recommended that you have a backup bottle of something recently purchased just in case. The only way to tell if the bottle is bad is to open it. If it it really dark or even medium yellow their is a chance that it has maderized (spoiled), further, no bubbles, no champagne.

LOL,and that way, you always have a bottle of champagne available!

Tom

Your follow up reminded me of a wuotation from Dorothy Parker: "Three be the things I shall never attain, envy, content and sufficient Champagne."

Thank you all. I shall promptly put my bottle to good use.