How long is too long?

[TikiWine]

I have a batch of chardonnay bulk aging in a carboy. It has been about 18 months. Is it still good to bottle or should I dump it?

 

[cmason1957]

Have you been adding kMeta at regular intervals or keeping it fully topped up and not opening it??

And regardless of the answer to that, have you tasted it to see if it tastes okay?
Bad will taste oxidized and the color will probably be off.
Oxidized wines usually have some nutty, savory characteristics on the nose and taste.
You might get tastes of raisins or brown apples; maybe a taste like sherry, like hazelnuts.

Side Note: White wines are more susceptible to oxidation than reds due to the tannins in reds.

 

[winemaker81]

And regardless of the answer to that, have you tasted it to see if it tastes okay?

We get a lot of questions that resemble, "Should I toss my wine?"

@cmason1957's response is the critical important one -- what does the wine smell and taste like? If it smells and tastes good, it's good. THAT is your answer.


EDIT -- I updated my response as the word "critical" doesn't necessarily indicate what I mean.

 

[Rice_Guy]

we get a lot of questions which resemble, “Should I get a new wife? We been married 18 months”.
There are normal changes which happen with age, but the only one which natters is “does it taste good?” Wine first and foremost is a preservative system. The risk of any food poisoning is like zero.

We get a lot of questions that resemble, "Should I toss my wine?"

@cmason1957's response is the critical one -- what does the wine smell and taste like? If it smells and tastes good, it's good. THAT is your answer.