The Highs and Lows of Checking Inventory

[John M.]

While I keep an excel sheet of what's in my cellar, my organization has fallen off so last night I went through everything. I fully expected for a few bottles to be "missing" from my excel list--you know those bottles you open or take somewhere on a whim and you neglect to keep accounts. Sure enough I was missing a couple LBVs and a 95 Cavadinha but I discovered I had an extra 1970 Grahams--that to me was a great exchange. A true bonus.

Now the ugly, in one of the recent buying ops I got a 2011 Porto Rocha VP among my purchases. I remember when it shipped (that offer had a tight shipping window) it was very warm/hot out her in NE USA--yet the wines seemed OK then---last night I was shocked to see the cork really pushed out and the bottle was leaking. Having no choice I opened and decanted---seems somewhat flawed but drinkable---but also very disjointed as its got to be in a dumb phase. Tasted this morning--better but still rough. I must say I have never seen a port so densely purple, yet its viscosity is moderate. Tonight I will try in earnest. While I am upset about the cork, I'm rather glad I caught it now assuming it settles down for tonight.

[Andy Velebil]

Bizarre that it did that after it was in your cellar.

[John M.]

Bizarre that it did that after it was in your cellar.

I agree. Sorry it happened but not a major bottle either and I knew the risks when I ordered.

As to the Port clearly off. Strong raspberries, still has that deep yet thin purple with a bright red rim. There is no complexity and it finished bright and tart...almost tastes like a California Port made with zinfandel grapes.

[Tom Archer]

My impression is that a bottle needs to get seriously hot to push out a cork - it has never happened to a bottle in my care, and the vast majority of older bottles with proud corks are simply cases where the cork never got fully inserted in the first place.

My suspicion is that you've got a spoilage bug doing a bit of extra fermentation there, and the gas produced has caused the leakage and cork movement..

[Andy Velebil]

My impression is that a bottle needs to get seriously hot to push out a cork - it has never happened to a bottle in my care, and the vast majority of older bottles with proud corks are simply cases where the cork never got fully inserted in the first place.

My suspicion is that you've got a spoilage bug doing a bit of extra fermentation there, and the gas produced has caused the leakage and cork movement..

Tom,
Good call. It is possible that it did warm up enough to get a small secondary fermentation going. Despite being fortified there are now yeasts that can easily survive in higher alcohol solutions. Absent it being next to something that got it very warm, there isn't any other reason I can think of at the moment that would have caused it after being in a temp controlled cellar.

[John M.]

My impression is that a bottle needs to get seriously hot to push out a cork - it has never happened to a bottle in my care, and the vast majority of older bottles with proud corks are simply cases where the cork never got fully inserted in the first place.

My suspicion is that you've got a spoilage bug doing a bit of extra fermentation there, and the gas produced has caused the leakage and cork movement..

Tom,
Good call. It is possible that it did warm up enough to get a small secondary fermentation going. Despite being fortified there are now yeasts that can easily survive in higher alcohol solutions. Absent it being next to something that got it very warm, there isn't any other reason I can think of at the moment that would have caused it after being in a temp controlled cellar.

I hope you are right Tom---hopefully that means the other bottles in the shipment are OK---it also makes sense given the evidence since popped after receipt, not in transit. Thank you.