"Vincent" > wrote in message
m...
> As I'm beginning to venture into older wines (no real old one just yet),
> I'm discovering that the corks tend to age if different ways. A few notes
> on the last two problems I ran into. Not sure why some things are the way
> they are, but I can make a few assumptions/guesses. Any feedback, advice
> or comments are gladly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
>
> 1966 Pichon Baron - Upon removing the foil, I found a hard, white
> (somewhat chalk-like) surface on the top of the cork. I used a damp cloth
> to remove the debris. Most came off revealing the cork. Dry on top, the
> bottom half was very saturated and fragile, and seperated during removal.
> I safely got the rest out in one piece, and enjoyed the wine.
>
> 1975 La Lagune - This time, the surface of the cork was black - I assume
> dry wine. A damp cloth was unable to remove all the debris, but some
> loosened. Most of this cork was very dry and kept breaking into pieces
> during removal. I assume these bottles spent a great deal of time
> vertically. Dropped a few bits of cork into the wine, but they were
> easilly removed when I poured it through a fine strainer into the
> decanter. Sediment was not strained and very present. Needed to drink
> right away, so no time to let the sediment resettle. Tried straining a
> glass through Mr. Coffee filter - this worked at removing sediment -
> though it really didn't bother me, so I enjoyed 2nd glass with sediment
> just fine.
>
> \/
>

Reminds of something I've often wanted to try, but have feared, until last
Friday night. Would a Rabbit safely remove the cork from a 30+ year old
bottle? I decided to try. Took my 1964 Mouton and used the Rabbit - it
worked perfectly! The cork seemed very wet, and the screw went in without
resistance, so I was very happy to see that it pulled the cork out cleanly
and in one piece. The wine itself was still a little tight at first, very
dry, earthy, leathery, and after about half an hour, some sweetness and dark
fruit appeared. Not much of a finish however, but it was a very good
experience shared with close family after some Thanksgiving leftovers!