Mildew smelling cork, is this wine bad?

Mildew smelling cork, is this wine bad?

I opened 3 bottles which have been stored in my basement, all 3 had mildew smelling corks. Are these wines bad? They were a 2000 Bordeaux, 2002 Burghandy, and 2004 Brunello.

Or does that not necessarily mean the wine is bad?

TIA

You won't know until you taste the wine, Abe.

Smelly cork doesn't always mean bad wine.

You should, of course, have fallbacks ready if you suspect for any reason they might be needed.

And consider as well that had these been screwcaps you would not have a worry in the world.

Mildew smelling cork, is this wine bad?

I opened 3 bottles which have been stored in my basement, all 3 had mildew smelling corks. Are these wines bad? They were a 2000 Bordeaux, 2002 Burghandy, and 2004 Brunello.

Or does that not necessarily mean the wine is bad?

TIA

Abe, I usually think the cork smells musty or perhaps dusty. Don't let it throw you off taste the wine

You aren't going to drink the cork.

If the wine smells and tastes OK, it doesn't matter what the state of the cork is.

-Paul W.

what everyone says about its being about the wine not the cork is correct. but if such divergent wines have a cork that smells the same bad way, i'd start to think about a problem in the cellar.