I was at a restaurant and ordered a $68 bottle of wine. The wine list said it was a 2002 Schlumberger cab but the server brought a 2003. She did not point out that fact and I did not make an issue of it. When the wine was opened, there was about a quarter inch of sediment on the end of the cork. I called attention to it and the server took a rag and wiped the neck of the bottle. When the wine was poured, it smelled okay but there was a very sharp taste to the wine. I apologized and said that was not what I expected and asked for a bottle of something else. I was told by the server and the manager that unfortunately the bottle was opened and there was nothing they could do about it. The manager tasted the wine and said it was very "tannic." Once I explained that the wine would ruin my steak the manager conferred with a colleague, came back to the table explaining that he would never take the bottle back ordinarily but would make an exception. I don't believe the wine was rancid. But it tasted awful like it had been bottled the month before. Should I have not sent the bottle back? Please advise.

For $68 I sure would have sent it back if I wasn't happy with it. But then again I can get decent Alsace wines at my local wine shop and wouldn't buy it in a restaurant anyway .

Was it their cabernet ?

Yes. It was cab.

I will assume they did not have a wine steward, but no I woiuld have sent it back and would not have paid for it.

Oops then it was probably a domestic wine .
Check out some reviews of the 2002 cab. Most are very favorable

2002 Michel-Schlumberger Cabernet Sauvignon (USA, California, Sonoma County, Dry Creek Valley) - CellarTracker! (http://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=126129)

If your steak had been off would you have not sent it back and not paid?
The wine was obviously corked and not drinkable you should have stood your ground they would have got there money back anyway.

I think you were right to send it back.

They are supposed to pour a small amount into your glass so that you can test whether it is corked or not when it is opened, then wait to see if you want to send it back. Well they do that here in Europe anyway.

Sounds like the manager was either a) a moron not to realised it was corked or b) trying to cheat you.

Thanks for all the replies. I shall not be so intimidated and trust my taste next time!

the server brought a 2003.

I do not feel that it was inapporpriate to refuse the wine. It was not a 2002 as listed and it wasn't a good substitute. I would think twice about ordering again from that servery. The purpose of tasting is to verify to the server that the wine is acceptable.

I work as a server and I've had wine sent back a few times, it's not a big deal at all, the restaurant you were dining at obviously does not know wine etiquette.