Very Tannic Burgundy - Corked?

[Innkeeper]

It could have been sediment in the neck of the bottle. Pinot is known for its smooth tannin almost from the getgo. The reason for this is its high acidity that also makes it such a great campanion for a wide variety of food. Most French wine is packaged and stored in a horizontal position, which is preferable to the either upside down or wrongside up (take your pick) of American wine. As the acid in the pinot works on the tannin, the resultant sediment can land anywhere along the side of the bottle, and frequently it settles in the neck. If you got that in your glass, you would have received a bitter jolt.