Short definition
A wine damaged by excessive heat exposure, resulting in stewed fruit flavors, a flat taste, and sometimes a pushed-out cork.
If a wine was stored in a hot trunk, next to a radiator, or shipped without temperature control, it may be cooked. The signs: the cork is slightly pushed out, the wine smells like stewed prunes or jam instead of fresh fruit, and the flavors taste dull and flat. Heat accelerates chemical reactions that normally take years, aging the wine badly in a matter of days. Always store wine away from heat sources.