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Dry Cork - Good Wine

Last Post 02-17-2003 08:50 PM byDick Bonder. 5 Replies.

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wineismylife

Arlington, TX

Master of Wine

Posts: 12436

02-17-2003 06:34 PM
I had a 1997 Joseph Phelps Eisrebe recently. When I purchased it the bottle was standing up on a shelf instead of lying down in a rack. I purchased one bottle to give it a try. The wine tasted fine to me (outstanding as a matter of fact, nothing off about it). However, the cork was completely dried out and just about crumbled when I carefully removed it. Do you think it would be safe to purchase more and lay it down in the cellar? My biggest fear would be it would start leaking down the road.

Joe-----Wine is like potato chips around me...if it's open, it's gone.

skwid

Wine Connoisseur

Posts: 5452

02-17-2003 06:40 PM
I had a simplar problem yesterday with a 1991 Phelps Napa Cab in Magnum. I put the corkscrew in and it pulled right through the cork. The cork seemed very dry and somewhat brittle. I was unable to extract the last half inch of the cork and it went into the bottle. Fortunately I was able to dig out all the little pieces before the cork went into the bottle so there wasn't cork pieces floating in the wine. I poured it into the decanter and the wine tasted fine. I purchased the bottle in December of 2001 and has it in my temperature controlled cellar since I obtained it. So I would say that things should be okay (my cork was tight to the glass with no leakage).

Bradley Molzen

VinoCellar.com Admin
Bayonne, NJ

Wine Connoisseur

Posts: 5054

02-17-2003 06:44 PM
Can dried out corks be re-moisturized? Kind of like cigars.... they won't be back to 100%, but perhaps may still be saved? I haven't had a bottle to try this with.

If you drink wine, you get smarter....

Bob Bressler

Napa Valley
Wine Lover

Posts: 4894

02-17-2003 06:54 PM
unfortunately, if there is a problem, it is because air got into the bottle. When a cork dries out, it shrinks and loses its elasticity. Of and by itself, this is not necessarily a problem. However, if the wine shop also has changes in temperature, the contents of the bottle will expand and contract - and now the poorer seal of the cork will allow more air into the bottle. You just don't know. Corks can be re-hydrated. Remember, however, that alcohol breaks down the elasticity of cork, so re-hydrating with wine is not as good as with water (I think this falls into the 'just when you thought it was safe to back into the water' category). Net net - it is a gamble. If the temp as been reasonably constant, you may very well be OK, but...

skwid

Wine Connoisseur

Posts: 5452

02-17-2003 07:13 PM
Note that in my instance the wine had been out of a temperature controlled space for the two days it took Phelps to send me the wine. It also seemed that the cork was very tight to the bottle. There was no leakage or wine very high up the cork. You mileage may vary.

Dick Bonder

Grape Fermenter

Posts: 484

02-17-2003 08:50 PM
I have had many dry corks turn out to be good wines, but I wonder just how many "off" wines I've had that started out with a long period of vertical storage. We only see how the retailers mishandle our wines. Who knows how they were mishandled before that? I think that buying such a wine is a gamble and the wine is best consumed soon. I would not consciously buy a standup wine for cellaring.....the surprise several years down the road might be unpleasant and the bottle could not be returned. Dick

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