In article .com>, spud98765
@hotmail.com says...
>
>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!
>
>many thanks
>nicola

I'm with Mark all the way on this one. Until post-WWII, most Port was bottled
away from the lodge and was often labeled with the hotel, the restaurant, or
the importer. I do not know this producer, but there have been quite a few
changes in the houses over the centuries.

As for your Port, it might still be holding its own, regardless of the
leakage. However, it could, as Dr Lipton states, be heat damaged. Port is a
very durable wine and can withstand quite a bit of mishandling, though one
should NOT mishandle it.

As an example, I have had most of the Taylor-Fladgate Vintage Ports from the
'30s, except for the '55. In London, the club was opening a bottle and offered
me a glass. Hey, the '55, finally!! I noticed the stains on the label. I
helped the wine steward extract the cork. She poured my glass, and it looked
like a Tawney. Hm-m-m, not a good sign. It smelled maderized a bit (burnt
pecans, almonds, caramel, that sort of thing), but I tasted it. It was very
similar to either a Tawney, or a Madeira, but NOT a Vintage Port. It was OK,
just not what I had been waiting for. Too bad. To this day, I still have not
had the '55, but I'm off to London again, so there still might be a chance...

Good luck, and experience it for what it is now, especially as you have had
the opportunity to taste it without the heat (or other) damage.

Hunt