older wime

[winecollector]

I had a similar experience with a 1974 Burgundy a year and a half ago. The guy that gave it to me tried to open it and damaged the cork. By the time I received it, it was obvious that it wasn't stored properly either. I took it home anyway (hey it was a free-bee!), put it on the rack and had sepage. Upon opening it, I was suprised to find it still drinkable (I survived the experience), but you could taste the effects of oxidation from the sepage. I would have loved to have tried that wine from a better bottle.

By the way, I have had a lot of success with older Chianti Classico Riserva's. I still have about half a case of 1974 Fossi that's holding up well (last opened a bottle in fall of 99), as well as one from '59, though I really need to open the '59 before it's to late. Ah, so much wine, so little time. I wonder if Thomas Jefferson had that problem?