Tried this Mosel w/ Stacey & David ystrday afternoon:
1. Maximilian v.Othegraven Riesling Kanzemer Altenberg Auslese (10%; Fuder 9; QmP Auslese; EA; A.P.Nr. 3 518 034-9-77) Weingut Kanzemer Berg/Saar 1976: Deep brown/sherry/light PX color; strong old Auslese/slight oxidative some pencilly/cedary some botrytis/apricotty old German Auslese quite complex very interesting/attractive nose; soft quite sweet very rich/lush strong apricotty/botrytis/peachy slight oxidative fairly classic old German Auslese no Mosel valve oil/petrol very ripe/grapey/bit raisened very complex lovely/interesting flavor w/ no signs of oxidation; very long/lingering quite sweet finish mirrors flavor; not a classic/textbook old Auslese & the O2 probably robbed it some of its intensity & complexity but clearly an old Auslese and in amazingly good condition for its circumstances.
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1. More nickerslap from TheBloodyPulpit:
We all know the importance of storing a wine on its side to keep the cork moist and O2 away from the wine. That's what all the "wine authorities" tell us. Well... maybe these authorities are not all that wise.
Last week, Stacey was digging in her deceased Dad's cellar and came across this btl of old German Riesling Auslese. There was a ton of leaked gunk on the rack underneath the btl and a ton of leaked gunk down the side of the btl. The holes in the lead capsule were all stoppered with gunk. She pulled it out and...say whot??... the cork had dropped down into the wine and about a fourth of the wine had leaked away. Ullaged well down onto the shoulder. It had been stored in her Dad's cellar like this for over 40 yrs, but no telling how long in this circumstances. Based on what she knew from the "authorities", she tossed the btl into the trash.
When Stacey related this disaster to me, I soundly scolded her for tossing it. "It may still be good" I lectured her. So she rescued it from the trash and we tried it this afternoon. It was a deep brown color of an oxidized wine, like a light PedroXimenez. But it was an absolutely delicious example of an old German Auslese, quite sweet, bit raisened, strong botrytis, very complex, no signs of oxidation other than the brown color. Who'd have thunk? Clearly, this was not a top-form old Auslese. The only thing protecting this wine was the lead capsule, which was in contact with the wine until it had ullaged away enough to no longer be in contact. And there was a lot of gunk on the inside of the capsule so the lead was probably not in contact w/ the wine for all that long. Probably, like an olde Sauternes, the high RS acted as a protection against oxidation.
Over the yrs, I've resurrected a handful of btls, stored standing upright, where the corks have dried-out & dropped down into the wine. And a few that had been stored on their sides. These wines, invariably, have not been totally shot, in much better condition than the circumstances warrant, none terribly oxidized, some just oldWine in character, and none, absolutely none, turned to vinegar
So the next time some "wine authority" tells you something with great authority... realize that they may not be such an authority as they claim... that they may be FoS. When they tell you an old wine turns to vinegar... I can guarantee you they don't know jack-$hit. Trust me on this one!!
So that's my story & I'm sticking to it.
Tom