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Posted to alt.food.wine
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Vintage port - leaky bottle : (
wrote:
> Hello,
>
> We were given a bottle of very old port as a gift a while ago, but we
> haven't stored it very well (it's just been on it's side in our dining
> room, at room temperature) and although the old cork has been
> additionally sealed with wax, we've noticed that unfortunately it
> appears to have been leaking slightly : (
>
> I'd just really like to know if this probably means it's already
> wrecked - is a leaky bottle generally a show stopper for old port? We
> were kindof saving it for a special occasion, but does this leak mean
> we might as well quit while we're ahead and open it ASAP at our next
> dinner party, or if we try and seal it further with more wax might it
> last a short while longer? (if this might help, would regular candle
> wax do the trick?)
>
> Any advice appreciated as I believe this is a really nice bottle and
> was slightly devastated when I noticed it leaking!
Interesting question, Nicola. I think that it would help to know what
exactly you've got: how old, and what kind of Port? If it's vintage
Port, it can age for many decades and still be quite robust. OTOH, if
you mean a vintage Port from before WW II, or if it's a Ruby or Tawny
Port, the story is different. I'd suspect from your description that it
is a vintage Port (not many Rubies or Tawnies are sealed by wax AFAIK).
To answer the question, no, leakage is not a sure-fire sign of
ruination, but a fragile (older) wine may be heat damaged. In any case,
I'd probably open it sooner rather than later but you'll get a better
and more informed answer if you can provide more information about the wine.
HTH
Mark Lipton
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