Ok - what happened!
 

I found a bottle of the below (Bully Hill Ives) hiding in the back (way
back) of the cabinet; it has to be over ten years old!

http://www.bullyhill.com/descred.asp?id=17


I went ahead and opened it and poured a glass. It is no longer red, but a
tawny brown and is VERY sweet and fruity. The bottle has a dull red film
left after pouring

The cork was a little dry but not the worst I have ever seen. Did I some how
age myself some sherry?


Cheryl

In article >,
says...
>
>I found a bottle of the below (Bully Hill Ives) hiding in the back (way
>back) of the cabinet; it has to be over ten years old!
>
>http://www.bullyhill.com/descred.asp?id=17
>
>
>I went ahead and opened it and poured a glass. It is no longer red, but a
>tawny brown and is VERY sweet and fruity. The bottle has a dull red film
>left after pouring
>
>The cork was a little dry but not the worst I have ever seen. Did I some how
>age myself some sherry?
>
>
>Cheryl

It certainly sounds like you did, and without benefit of a solera. I'm not
familiar with the Ives, but, even though BH rates it on the low-middle of the
residual sugar range (I assume that is what the "meter" is telling me), it
apparently had enough RS to keep it from going totally off.

I encountered a bottle of Taylor (strange how that name pops up in this
thread, as the late owner of BH was a Mr Taylor) Vintage 1955 that had become
a Tawny from a dried cork. I'd never tasted the '55 and it was the single
missing Taylor Fladgate Vintage from my list dating back to the 1948. In
London, at the Park Lane, the server asked if I would be interested in tasting
it, as I placed my order. Obviously, the chance to do so got my attention.
She presented the bottle, and it was actually a Taylor bottling, but the lable
was darkly discolored. I watched as the capsule (no wax) and cork were removed
with great difficulty. The cork had partially disintegrated. I had the first
two glasses of this wine. To my surprise, the color was that of a light Tawny,
and the flavors matched. It wasn't as well-rounded as the Taylor 20y, but
lacked the spirity taste of the Taylor 10y. Not a bad Tawny (I'd give it a B
-), but obviously NOT the 1955 Vintage that I'd been hoping for. Even without
the barrel aging, the wine had become somewhat like a Tawny, though it did not
taste maderized, only slightly oxidized. Interesting, but I still have never
tasted the Taylor 1955 Vintage! Oh well, maybe some day.

Hunt