Got a Leaker--Now What?

[John M.]

Some dear friends have a 1967 Taylor Quinta de Vargellas Vintage Port they've had for 25 or more years. They called me saying is just started to leak and they were worried it was spoiled. I said it's probably fine but to stand it up so it does not leak further and that it should be drunk very soon (under two months or so) so the cork does not dry out further--and that I would find out more here. Was my advice sound? What is your protocol with leakers?

[Eric Menchen]

I really don't know, but I don't stand them up as a preventative measure. With a very slow leaker, I would think standing it up just gives a path for more air to enter the bottle. I've had one leaker. After discovering the leak, I drank it within a month and it was delicious.

[Moses Botbol]

Tell them you know someone in Boston they can send to for proper disposal.

I would only leave standing for a week or so, but I haven't had much experience with standing a leaking bottle for extended periods. I have a case of 1980 Ferreira that has never been on its side, and the bottles vary, but even the worst example from the case is still quite drinkable. I am not as sold as some on the importance of keeping port on its side, but I do it as a default. Depends on the capsole and cellar conditions, along with the producer. Some brands corks just don't seem as snug as others...

If the bottle has been on its side for decades, why change it?

[John M.]

Thanks Eric & Moses for the responses to date. I found this in a FTLOP article:

The importance of the shape of the bottle neck and quality of the seal makes a huge difference with “leakers.” Speaking of leakers, Adrian mentioned that residual sugar can make the Port so thick that it almost can reseal a leaking bottle. He also made it clear, that TFP does not re-cork bottles, but will re-seal them with wax instead. So for those of you that have any leaking bottles in your cellar, go out and buy some sealing wax and have at it.

So, has anyone tried using sealing wax to plug a leaker? If so, exactly how would one do it?

[Jim R.]

I have had a couple leakers, both in 375 and 750 ml sizes. If possible I would drink them within a month of discovery. I have not tried sealing wax but I have taken the pint sized, thick plastic zip lock bags and rubber banded them around the bottle neck. These have shown good staying power when laid on their sides, one to three years with no degradation. I would always suggest laying the bottles on their sides so the corks do not dry out. If the leak is severe then immediate consumption is suggested, if a slow leak I think you can take your time. Regards and good luck.

[Eric Menchen]

I've fixed leaky barrels with a wax designed for that purpose. You just kind of smush it into the cracks in the wood. I would guess if you have a similar wax you could put it on the exposed cork and gently push it in around the edges. But if it is a slow leaker and still has a capsule of some sort on it, I would probably just leave the capsule in place.

[Marc J.]

I have used sealing wax on a couple of slow leakers I noticed in my cellar. The process is pretty straighforward, although it does take a bit of practice. The wax can be picked up at any wine supply store and you also might want to consider getting a bit of practice on a cheap-o bottle (Charles Shaw comes to mind) before trying your hand on the Taylor. In my opinion this is one of the better short-term solutions - although drinking the bottle is probably the BEST solution. Enjoy!

[Al B.]

Another short to medium term solution is to tightly wrap Clingfilm around the cork so that the amount of air that can get into the bottle is substantially reduced.

With bottles I own, I will often simply strip off all the old wax and rewax the bottle. Be sure to clean the neck of the bottle completely to get a good seal between the glass and the wax. Also be sure to use proper bottle wax - buy it over the internet if you can't find it in a local store.

[Roy Hersh]

Drink up! Or use wax as Alex described. Otherwise, don't wait long as the wine inside is exposed to air and the wine will oxidize and the Port is not getting any better.

[Tom Archer]

If the plan is to drink the bottle in the relatively near term, I stand it up, put clingfilm over the top as Alex says, and hold it in place with an elastic band.

If the seepage is not so bad as to demand re-corking you can re-wax or overwax.

Get some bottle wax (which is just a hard paraffin wax) and melt it carefully. I put the wax in a large stove enamel mug (normally used for camping expeditions) and place the mug in a saucepan to which I've added some sunflower oil to help transfer the heat.

Put the pan on the stove on a very low heat (trying to melt wax quickly can be dangerous) and let it slowly melt. Do not leave a wax pot unattended - it is just as much a fire hazard as a chip pan.

If the old wax is crumbling, chip it off, if it had a foil capsule, take it off completely. However, if it has an old wax capsule that is reasonably sound, you can simply put a new layer of wax on top.

I clean the top of the bottle first with a damp cloth, and then with a cloth soaked in acetone, which dries off very quickly, taking any traces of moisture with it.

When the wax is fully melted, plunge the neck of the bottle into the wax quickly and then withdraw it straight away. I then spin the bottle, gradually bringing it upright. This usually works OK, but sometimes air bubbles form at the top. If you want to dip the bottle a second time, stick the bottle in the fridge for half an hour so the first coat of wax fully hardens.

Sometimes I find it useful to spin the new capsule over a spirit burner to tidy up my handywork - sometimes I find myself cutting off the new wax, putting in back in the pot, and having another go...

[Todd Pettinger]

If the plan is to drink the bottle in the relatively near term, I stand it up, put clingfilm over the top as Alex says, and hold it in place with an elastic band.

If the seepage is not so bad as to demand re-corking you can re-wax or overwax.

Get some bottle wax (which is just a hard paraffin wax) and melt it carefully. I put the wax in a large stove enamel mug (normally used for camping expeditions) and place the mug in a saucepan to which I've added some sunflower oil to help transfer the heat.

Put the pan on the stove on a very low heat (trying to melt wax quickly can be dangerous) and let it slowly melt. Do not leave a wax pot unattended - it is just as much a fire hazard as a chip pan.

If the old wax is crumbling, chip it off, if it had a foil capsule, take it off completely. However, if it has an old wax capsule that is reasonably sound, you can simply put a new layer of wax on top.

I clean the top of the bottle first with a damp cloth, and then with a cloth soaked in acetone, which dries off very quickly, taking any traces of moisture with it.

When the wax is fully melted, plunge the neck of the bottle into the wax quickly and then withdraw it straight away. I then spin the bottle, gradually bringing it upright. This usually works OK, but sometimes air bubbles form at the top. If you want to dip the bottle a second time, stick the bottle in the fridge for half an hour so the first coat of wax fully hardens.

Sometimes I find it useful to spin the new capsule over a spirit burner to tidy up my handywork - sometimes I find myself cutting off the new wax, putting in back in the pot, and having another go...

Great advice! Very thorough... I'm hoping that i won't need to use it, but if I do, I'm prepared!

[John M.]

Well, the plan is to drink this on Saturday. By reading the TNs I gather an 8 to 9 hour decant is about perfect. Does that seem right?

[Jeff G.]

I've very much quite enjoyed the 67 taylor's

however there was a wintergreen note that people found offputting.

we did 2-3 hours decant and it certainly didn't go anywhere by the end of dinner 3 hours later.

[Glenn E.]

I think that was an off bottle, Jeff. I've had the '67 Vargellas a couple of times and that's the only one that has had such a strong wintergreen note to it.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[Andy Velebil]

I've very much quite enjoyed the 67 taylor's

however there was a wintergreen note that people found offputting.

we did 2-3 hours decant and it certainly didn't go anywhere by the end of dinner 3 hours later.

There is now some definite bottle variation occurring in this VP. That may or may not have been the issue, but something to consider.

[Tom Archer]

There is now some definite bottle variation occurring in this VP. That may or may not have been the issue, but something to consider.

At auction, this is one of the most frequently seen ports from the 1960s, both UK bottled and OB, and IIRC, there are both second and third year bottlings around.

Most of my encounters have been very good, but one small stash of OB wine was very fiery.

[Glenn E.]

There is now some definite bottle variation occurring in this VP. That may or may not have been the issue, but something to consider.

At auction, this is one of the most frequently seen ports from the 1960s, both UK bottled and OB, and IIRC, there are both second and third year bottlings around.

Most of my encounters have been very good, but one small stash of OB wine was very fiery.

I suppose I should note that the very nice bottles I've had were both 3rd year (1970 Oporto) bottlings. I think I've had one nice and one wintergreen 2nd year bottling, with the wintergreen being the one with Jeff in NYC.

[John M.]

We opened this night--it was fantastic--thanks everyone for your suggestions on how to plug a leaker.

Since bottle variation is an issue (who bottled): 1969 Oporto bottled.

TN: http://www.fortheloveofport.com/ftlopfo ... 12&t=14873

[Roy Hersh]

I've had a few different stashes of this Port over the years. I have seen the tell-tale wintergreen/eucalyptus raise its ugly head in some bottlings, from the UK. Also have had extremely hot versions too, that seemed to show signs that the fruit had receded and the aguardente had been too prominent. Fortunately, those two situations have been outliers and not the norm. I opened one early in May for Dirk, when he stayed at my home on his last night in town and it was a near-perfect showing. The only issue was that we drank it so quickly that we never got to see what it was like after decanting for sediment, because it was gone inside of one hour. Yummy!