Decanting old port

[Linden W.]

In November I will conduct a 10-vintage tasting of Taylor's Vintage Port.

The vintages will be 2000, 1994, 1992, 1977, 1963, 1948, 1945, 1935, 1927, and 1908. While I have opened numerous ports back to the '63s without any trouble (i.e. conventionally), I have never opened anything older - except a 1912 Cockburn. And this is waht is concerning me. The '12 had an odd-shaped neck and cork which were impossible to extract conventionally. This bottle was ullaged by two thirds of the bottle (i.e. two thirds missing!) buut miraculously still a pleasant wine. We only got half the cork out with a screwpull and poured the wine through the opening, then smashed the bottle to extract the last peice of cork to identifiy it.

Now I don't want any of that business in November!

I know there is a method using heated port tongs and a wet feather. I've not done this, and while it is probably straightforward, I would appreciate a step by step prep exaplantion, please.

Also, are there any other methods, please?

Finally, what is an adequate level of 'stand time' for the older vintages prior to opening them (i.e. to let the sediment settle)?

Thanks in advance,
Linden Wilkie

[Frederick Blais]

Linden, this short article could interest you:

http://www.wineloverspage.com/port/tongs.phtml

[Roy Hersh]

Having opened my share of ancient VPs (pre-1945) and my most recent one in July (1900 Taylor) where I pulled out the cork in once piece ... I can say it is a daunting task.

I have tried every conceivable method of cork extraction known to mankind in these ancient bottles and even old gems from the 19th century. That said, my greatest successes have been with an Ah So, ever so slowly used to extract corks. Tongs are fun when in a crowd but I find it much more of a challenge to get it in one piece with other methods and my two pairs of tongs don't get much use anymore.

Any chance that your tasting would be the first weekend (5-6th) of November, as there is a decent chance I will be stopping there then?

[Jason Brandt Lewis]

Port tongs work great IF you can get the tongs hot enough. Truly "red hot" is good; "white hot" is better.

Anything less than that, and they're nothing short of a bitch, not to mention dangerous! (If it doesn't work, and you have to use a corkscrew, you've induced a flaw in the glass and it may break under the pressure employed to extract the cork.)

If I have enough BTUs, fine. Otherwise, a Teflon-coated screw, like a Screwpull or Rabbit, is my first (and more common) choice.

Cheers,
Jason

[Linden W.]

Fred, Roy, Jason,

Thanks you doe the replies. The tasting takes place in a hotel. I'm really not sure whether I can get tongs really hot enough.

I think I will stick to using conventional methods, though I have never used an Ah So. I open old wines regularly in my tastings and have developed a bit of a knack with the teflon-coated screwpull (often using the teflon thread by itself if the cork breaks to get a god leverage angle to slide the remains out whole if possible). Is there a downside to the Ah So with very old wines?

Roy, the tasting will take place on Tuesday 29th November. 4th November (Friday) I am conducting a rare Burgundy tasting and dinner (back to 1906). PM me with your plans for that weekend. It would be good to hook up.

Cheers,
Linden

[Andy Velebil]

Fred, Roy, Jason,

Is there a downside to the Ah So with very old wines?

when using the Ah-So, all you have to remember is to TAKE YOUR TIME. It is not a regular cork screw that is quick. Just slowly work the Ah-So in and you will do fine. If you try and rush it, you will probably end up pushing the cork into the bottle. I recommend trying it a couple of times on an inexpensive bottle first, just to get the feel of it.