As I'm beginning to venture into older wines (no real old one just yet), I'm discovering that the corks tend to age if different ways. A few notes on the last two problems I ran into. Not sure why some things are the way they are, but I can make a few assumptions/guesses. Any feedback, advice or comments are gladly appreciated. Thanks in advance.
1966 Pichon Baron - Upon removing the foil, I found a hard, white (somewhat chalk-like) surface on the top of the cork. I used a damp cloth to remove the debris. Most came off revealing the cork. Dry on top, the bottom half was very saturated and fragile, and seperated during removal. I safely got the rest out in one piece, and enjoyed the wine.1975 La Lagune - This time, the surface of the cork was black - I assume dry wine. A damp cloth was unable to remove all the debris, but some loosened. Most of this cork was very dry and kept breaking into pieces during removal. I assume these bottles spent a great deal of time vertically. Dropped a few bits of cork into the wine, but they were easilly removed when I poured it through a fine strainer into the decanter. Sediment was not strained and very present. Needed to drink right away, so no time to let the sediment resettle. Tried straining a glass through Mr. Coffee filter - this worked at removing sediment - though it really didn't bother me, so I enjoyed 2nd glass with sediment just fine.
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