Sad face. The nicer-looking of my two 1948 Graham VPs is leaking. IIRC it was high shoulder when I got it, and it's probably mid shoulder now. That's... maybe 3 years?
I've wrapped the top with cling film and sealed it tightly with rubber bands. I'm sure that re-waxing it would be better, but I don't have the equipment or know-how to do that.
I'd recork like Eric mentions. You need to find a really good wax, like the Kopke style too.
To recork, buy a very young high quality wine and put that cork on your leaking bottle. You could also open a younger Graham's Vintage at the same time and top your leaking bottle with this. This is sometimes what they do.
Living the dream and now working for a Port company
Frederick Blais wrote: ↑Fri Apr 07, 2023 3:37 am
I'd recork like Eric mentions. You need to find a really good wax, like the Kopke style too.
To recork, buy a very young high quality wine and put that cork on your leaking bottle. You could also open a younger Graham's Vintage at the same time and top your leaking bottle with this. This is sometimes what they do.
Hmm... that's a great idea! I'm probably even going to be opening a very young Graham VP in the relatively near future, too, once the 2021 declarations are done and I'm able to get my hands on them. Will have to do another GST vertical, or so I've heard.
You can buy good quality bottle wax from Amazon. It comes in a choice of brittle - the kind that when you tap it with a hammer to remove it explodes into a million pieces all over the kitchen so you're finding bits in corners weeks later - or soft. The soft type is the same as cheese wax and needs to be removed with a knife. I use the soft type.
Rewaxing isn't difficult. Melt the wax in an old pan you won't need again over a very gentle heat (I use a light aluminium camping pan). Ensure the neck of the bottle is clean and dry; Tom wipes the neck with acetone to ensure it is properly and completely degreased to ensure a good bond between the wax and the glass.
I remove all the old wax but others don't, preferring to preserve as much as they can of the original bottle features under the new layer of wax. If I'm rewaxing a slight seeper without recorking it I always use a teaspoon to dribble wax over the top of the cork where it's seeping to create a seal capable of withstanding a bit of pressure from when the wine in the old cork is heated when you turn the bottle upside down and dunk the neck in the molten wax. Take the bottle out, spin it gently for a minute or so while the wax cools and hardens and then stand the bottle for 10-15 minutes to allow the wax to properly cool. If you need to, add a second dipping of wax (I usually do 2-3, overlapping slightly on the neck to build up several good seals).
If you're feeling really sophisticated, stamp the name and vintage of the wine on the top of the last layer of wax before it properly hardens using a children's rubber printing kit.
And do add a label to the bottle saying when and who (recorked and) rewaxed the bottle. Just in case anyone else ever comes in to possession of the bottle.
Frederick Blais wrote: ↑Fri Apr 07, 2023 3:37 am
I'd recork like Eric mentions. You need to find a really good wax, like the Kopke style too.
To recork, buy a very young high quality wine and put that cork on your leaking bottle. You could also open a younger Graham's Vintage at the same time and top your leaking bottle with this. This is sometimes what they do.
Hmm... that's a great idea! I'm probably even going to be opening a very young Graham VP in the relatively near future, too, once the 2021 declarations are done and I'm able to get my hands on them. Will have to do another GST vertical, or so I've heard.
If you go for this option. Open the bottle with Port tongs and hammer the glass to recover a perfect cork with to harm from other tools.
Living the dream and now working for a Port company
The nicer-looking of my two 1948 Graham VPs is leaking. IIRC it was high shoulder when I got it, and it's probably mid shoulder now. That's... maybe 3 years?
