The smell of leaking bottles

[Al B.]

I finished re-racking all my bottles at 6 o'clock this morning. Sadly, a handful of my bottles show signs of seepage or leaking ... but that's not all bad news.

One thing that struck me was the wonderful smell that you get when port has seeped past its cork in tiny quantities and then the water and alcohol have evaporated. The smell was strong enough to fill the room with its rich, sweet scent of dates and molasses. And the best bit is when some of that sticky residue gets onto your fingers and you absent-mindedly lick your fingers. The taste is fabulous; rich, concentrated yet balanced with a hint of acidity and loads of fruit. Interestingly, I have yet to come across a drop of sticky residue that I have not found to be absolutely delicious.

Has anyone else noticed either the wonderful smell or divine flavour of seeping bottles of port?

Alex

[Roy Hersh]

Alex,

Busted. I'll also admit that when finding leakers (mine were Madeira and an ancient rare bottle of Moscatel) of sticky dessert wines that I have touched the mass and smelled and tasted it off of my fingers.

I can not say it was absent-mindedly in my case, as I did so with intent and certainly enjoyed myself on both occasions.

Merry Christmas to you and your entire family my friend!

Roy

[Paul Eddy]

A post that has brought back great memories for me. The only leakers I can recall having were three Quinta do Noval 1985's and I did lick the seepage and it was good. But the memory this brings back to me was a tour of the Gonzales Byass bodega in Herez and the old solera barrels that had seepage that smelled divine, and I just stood at the back of the group licking my fingers and tasting this extraordinarily rich sweet substance. To close one's eyes, breath in the atmosphere and be part of history is one of the biggest thrills I get from visiting wineries or cellars and this was so good I went back the next year.

Thanks for bringing this memory back Alex.

Paul.