Corkscrew Chronicles: Old Wines can Sometimes be Serendipitous

You might sometime be the recipient of orphaned bottles from unusual circumstances. They appear when relatives pass away, some are gifts to non-wine drinkers that end up in your possession, or you may be approached by someone who just wants to get rid of them. Fact: Not all wines get better with extended aging. There are a very small percentage of wines that will actually improve and survive more than a year in the cellar. So, you come by a few bottles of older wines, for whatever reason. Here is the best way to approach this situation: Store the bottles on their sides (horizontal) and let them rest for a few days. Reds will need time to let any sediment (color and astringency) settle out. Keep them at temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, out of the sun and some place they won't be disturbed. Often you can see through the white wine bottles the indication of oxidation by dark or brown hues. If the wine is quite brown, the wine is probably gone. However, always open any bottle and give it time to show its character, as it might come around after airing. I give the bottle at least half an hour before giving up so it has time to show its potential. The sediment in a red wine can be observed with a powerful flashlight by looking through the top of the bottle with the light shining perpendicularly through the bottom of the bottle. Sediment will appear as a deposit on the underside of the horizontal bottle. Gently pull the cork and pour the wine slowly into a clean decanter using a light to stop pouring when sediment approaches the bottle neck. I have found for old, brittle corks that an "Ah-So" cork remover compresses and makes extraction much simpler. Here are some bottles a family member recently gifted to me, since they don't drink wine: Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve Champagne (France) — Founded in 1851, a top Champagne house. Quite dark and had lost the majority of its effervescence. Still very fresh nose from its low pH and high acidity, just a hint of oxidation. Drinkable. Similar to a rich, cool climate white, though better opened five years ago. Hawk Crest Cabernet Sauvignon 1999 (California) — Usually a pleasant and well-made, fruit-forward Cabernet from grapes sourced in lower Lake County, for near-term consumption. The wine was still alive but simply smelled like diluted red wine. Flavors were very light and diffuse. Would have been better eight years ago. Shafer "Firebreak" 1996 (Napa) — From a top Napa winery, this is a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon produced in the vintages from 1991-2003. In excellent shape with bright, ripe red cherry and spice notes, hints of earth and its finish tinged with cedar. Lovely wine. One of the few bottles here meant to be aged. Oremus Tokaj 4 Puttonos 1996 (Hungary) — A fairly sweet dessert wine from the noble Tokaji grape. Oremus was the first winery in the region founded in 1631. Showing scents and flavors of dried apricot, orange liqueur and maple syrup, its sweetness drying out with evident oxidation. Still drinkable, though past its prime by several years. There were other whites of varying quality from 2002 to 2005 vintages, all of which had extensive oxidation. In their day they would have been very enjoyable, but with excessive cellar time became undrinkable. So, one exceptional bottle and several that were drinkable, though sadly most were past their prime. Enjoying and aging wines takes some experience. Please feel free to email me with questions/information on bottles that end up in your possession. Gary Twining is a certified wine educator who worked 34 years in the wholesale fine wine industry. Email him at winingwithtwining@hotmail.com.