Literally "rotten" French wine???

[lendaddy]

A buddy of mine showed me a bottle of 198x French white wine that was still foil sealed but there were 10% solids in the bottom! It was gross and looks like black silt when you swish it around. What causes this? I assume oxidation/bad cork, but even then I've never seen one develop so much solids.

[Tobra]

They call it sediment, and it is not such a bad thing. That is why you decant it, so that stuff can settle and the wine can breathe a bit. It is how it smells, tastes and looks in a glass, not how it looks in a bottle that matters.

An old Bordeaux will get a lot of sediment, as will a lot of reds, as long as it was taken care of, stored properly, it should be fine, maybe even very fine or outstanding.

[lendaddy]

Originally Posted by Tobra

They call it sediment, and it is not such a bad thing. That is why you decant it, so that stuff can settle and the wine can breathe a bit. It is how it smells, tastes and looks in a glass, not how it looks in a bottle that matters.

An old Bordeaux will get a lot of sediment, as will a lot of reds, as long as it was taken care of, stored properly, it should be fine, maybe even very fine or outstanding.

Wow, really? I'll have to get the details and a picture for you to look at. To be honest I would be afraid to drink this after seeing it. A good 1" thick at least in the bottom of the bottle, I kid you not.

[M.D. Holloway]

Why you drinking that french crap anyway? Heck, Long Island NY makes better whites...

[RallyJon]

In a white wine, much more likely the sediment was tartrate crystals.

Any 1980s white wine that's not sweet is a long shot to be drinkable.

[Palum6o]

This could also be a precipitate of sodium metabisulphite (assuming that's what they used or something similar) that will sometimes form at the bottom of a bottle over a long period of time. Small amounts of sodium metabisulphite is added to water and is used in winemaking to sort of kill the natural occurring yeast (which is everywhere). Its harmless, just decant or use a paper filter.

[304065]

Len,

This is the reason why a red wine bottle is shaped differently than a white wine bottle. Next time you are browsing the racks at your local wine merchant, notice how the red wine bottle has a sharp curve below the neck. This is intended to hold back the sediment as you pour. Contrast this with a white wine bottle, which has a smooth taper all the way to the neck.

An inch of sediment is a lot but the good ones will throw a ton and it doesn't diminsh from the enjoyment in the slightest. Decanting them tends to increase the rate of oxidation, and pouring across a coffee filter can foul the taste due to the bleach used in the filter. The old fashioned way is to slowly pour, using a candle on the far side so you can see what you are doing.

Try it on an old red!

[lendaddy]

Thanks again,

I'm going to post a pic first though as I really find it hard to believe this is normal and with my luck I'll die from some bacterial infection or something

[Superman]

I'm making wine now, for the first time. After fermentation, it is necessary to "rack" the wine a few times. Racking is the process of gently siphoning the wine from the center of the large bottle or cask in order to dismiss the sediment that sinks, and the bits that float. If a wine were bottled fairly soon after fermentation, and racked only once, then you could expect some sediment to be in the bottle.

[masraum]

Originally Posted by Superman

I'm making wine now, for the first time. After fermentation, it is necessary to "rack" the wine a few times. Racking is the process of gently siphoning the wine from the center of the large bottle or cask in order to dismiss the sediment that sinks, and the bits that float. If a wine were bottled fairly soon after fermentation, and racked only once, then you could expect some sediment to be in the bottle.

If you want to make some really top notch wine, this is the recipe that you should use.
http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/000373.php

If you want to laugh your butt off, read this whole page.
http://www.thesneeze.com/mt-archives/cat_steve_dont_eat_it.php

[BlueSkyJaunte]

Cognac?

[teenerted1]

17+yo white wine?

that doesnt sound like it would be drinkable

[Jeff Higgins]

Originally Posted by teenerted1

17+yo white wine?

that doesnt sound like it would be drinkable

Does sound way too old for a white. Most whites are best consumed fairly "young", like in a year or two. (Now that didn't sound right...) Anyway, age the reds; never the whites. Even the reds will "turn" if too old. Most collector bottles of very old reds are nothing more than stale vinegar that gets passed around for the bottle.

[cbeers]

Originally Posted by Jeff Higgins

Does sound way too old for a white. Most whites are best consumed fairly "young", like in a year or two. (Now that didn't sound right...) Anyway, age the reds; never the whites. Even the reds will "turn" if too old. Most collector bottles of very old reds are nothing more than stale vinegar that gets passed around for the bottle.

It all depends on who made the wine and what their techniques are. In general, reds age but whites don't, but I can show you a spent red wine that's only 2 years old and a beautiful white that's 10+ years old.

The other factor is where it's from. Typically, Americans make their wines ready to consume the night you buy it. Better wines are made to age, but the average consumer wants something NOW.

I had a bottle of 1965 Napa Valley Cabernet recently and while not the young, vibrant, fruit bomb it once was, it was very enjoyable and not the least bit off. Quite an experience to have a bottle 40+ years old

I'd be interested to see what this bottle is and then take it from there.

-Chris

[Hugh R]

That's why a bottle of red has that dimple in the bottom of the bottle, so the sediment can go to the bottom and you can decant out the last little bit of wine.

[stomachmonkey]

Originally Posted by LubeMaster77

Why you drinking that french crap anyway? Heck, Long Island NY makes better whites...

Yes we do.

[RPKESQ]

The canard about aging reds and not aging whites is quite misleading. Certain whites can be aged over 15 years to a sublime perfection and many reds are best consumed within 2 or 3 years. It totally depends on the exact wine. Do not trust to blanket statements about wine in general. Try learning about the particular wine in question. Also nothing is more important than proper storage for wine is a living thing and needs to have a suitable environment.

[bigchillcar]

Originally Posted by RPKESQ

The canard about aging reds and not aging whites is quite misleading. Certain whites can be aged over 15 years to a sublime perfection and many reds are best consumed within 2 or 3 years. It totally depends on the exact wine. Do not trust to blanket statements about wine in general. Try learning about the particular wine in question. Also nothing is more important than proper storage for wine is a living thing and needs to have a suitable environment.

in the same vein that i'd trust a redneck with a 'shotgun or a 4-wheel drive', i'd surely trust a frenchman's opinion on wine..

[Don Plumley]

Originally Posted by Hugh R

That's why a bottle of red has that dimple in the bottom of the bottle, so the sediment can go to the bottom and you can decant out the last little bit of wine.

That's one of the potential reasons for the Punt (or Kick-Up) - others include a nice way to hold the bottle, strength (especially for sparkling), historical artifact, etc. I believe that the actual purpose is not commonly agreed upon. We specify a bottle with a huge punt that actually has a dimple - when an experienced sommelier holds it they grin because they know its a particular type of bottle.

[lendaddy]

Here are some pics of the wine and label, I think it may ruin some of you for white wine