Why is there sediments in my bottles?

[Jerry D Mead]

I don't recommend opening to taste and recorking either...same reasons stated above. Most modern wines are bottled in sealed system, oxygen protected bottling lines and purged with nitrogen or CO2...your opening the bottle defeats all that by letting oxygen in.

While it is less a problem for fortified wines (Port, Madiera, Sherry) with their higher alcohols...it is still not a good practice. The difference you are tasting is oxidation...usually a loss of fruit and sometimes picking up some metallic or pruney kinds of tastes.

If you must open to sample (or for bottles you open to drink but don't finish), I suggest you use a product called Private Preserve...It's basically an aerosol can of nitrogen/argon...which if you spurt into the bottle before recorking will act to protect it from oxygen. If you can't find it locally, it can be purchased through winetrader@aol.com