Penfolds Wine Clinics

[Ratcatcher]

What's the value in taking your wine along to one of these?

I mean, if it's stuffed then it's stuffed, you'll find that out when you open it.

If it's in good nick then what's the value in opening it? Surely exposing it to the air, getting it topped up and recorked presents risks to the wine unless you plan on drinking it almost immediately?

If it's in good nick then what if the new cork doesn't seal correctly? What if it is a tainted cork? Surely by using 2 corks you are doubling your risk of TCA?

I'd personally rather just leave mine sitting quietly in the cellar.

I guess the only plus I can see is if you were intending to cellar for another 10 years but you find it is drinking perfectly now or is on the decline.

[griff]

Not that I have, but if you want to sell it on then it would receive a higher price if had recently been to a clinic.

cheers

Carl

[n4sir]

Here we go again...

I went into a fair amount of detail as to why someone would take bottles to a clinic a few months ago:

http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=6886

Basically if it's not leaking and has a good fill level - don't take it (they probably won't examine it anyway).

If you are planning on drinking it very soon, again don't take it (just open the damn thing and cross your fingers).

On the other hand if one is leaking and you are keeping it for a special occasion in the distant future, it is worth getting checked and recorked/capsuled if it passes because the cork will be well on its way out (if not shot already).

The wines are zapped with nitrogen when opened to stop exposure to air before recorking, and the risk of the new cork failing is less than relying on the old one to go the distance.

I took two magnums last year I got very cheaply at auction which both passed with flying colours, and are now snoozing happily in my cellar with good closures. When I do open them, I've got a decent idea of what I should have - I can only speak for myself, but the exercise was worth it to me.

Cheers,
Ian

[Baby Chickpea]

Here we go again...

I went into a fair amount of detail as to why someone would take bottles to a clinic a few months ago:

http://forum.auswine.com.au/viewtopic.php?t=6886

Basically if it's not leaking and has a good fill level - don't take it (they probably won't examine it anyway).

If you are planning on drinking it very soon, again don't take it (just open the damn thing and cross your fingers).

On the other hand if one is leaking and you are keeping it for a special occasion in the distant future, it is worth getting checked and recorked/capsuled if it passes because the cork will be well on its way out (if not shot already).

The wines are zapped with nitrogen when opened to stop exposure to air before recorking, and the risk of the new cork failing is less than relying on the old one to go the distance.

I took two magnums last year I got very cheaply at auction which both passed with flying colours, and are now snoozing happily in my cellar with good closures. When I do open them, I've got a decent idea of what I should have - I can only speak for myself, but the exercise was worth it to me.

Cheers,
Ian

+1. I just don't understand people's antipathy to the clinics. Its been done for decades (even by great French chateaux like Lafite up until mid 1990s). Given the choice between a clinic'd wine and original for long term storage, I will always take the clinic'd wine.

Also gives you a "window of opportunity" as to whether the wine needs to be drunk up or can be safely cellared longer. No point opening it in x years to find it is faulty, dead, OTH, etc. The trade off is that the flavour profile will change slightly given addition of current vintage wine. A trade off I am willing to accept.

[beef]

Also gives you a "window of opportunity" as to whether the wine needs to be drunk up or can be safely cellared longer. No point opening it in x years to find it is faulty, dead, OTH, etc. The trade off is that the flavour profile will change slightly given addition of current vintage wine. A trade off I am willing to accept.

** Another trade-off is the increased risk of TCA, as the OP suggested. Although, in the case of TCA, one should be able to get a current-vintage replacement.

Stuart

[n4sir]

** Another trade-off is the increased risk of TCA, as the OP suggested. Although, in the case of TCA, one should be able to get a current-vintage replacement.

Stuart

Again the only reason a bottle is examined at a Penfolds clinic is because the original cork is leaking and/or the ullage level is down. No matter how good a job the original cork has done, it's a ticking time bomb that's set to go off (if it hasn't already).

I'd consider the risk of striking TCA in the replacement cork being less than relying on the old one to stand up further under extended cellaring. I would also think that if the replacement cork at a clinic was TCA effected there would be grounds to ask for a replacement (even if it is a current release), although I haven't heard of this being tested before.

Cheers,
Ian

[Ratcatcher]

Thanks Ian - I hadn't read that thread.

BC - I understand the attraction for people wanting to buy a clinic'd bottle at auction, I couldn't understand what was in it for the owner who wanted to continue cellaring and eventually drink their bottle. That is until I read Ian's explanation of what Penfolds guidelines are for checking bottles.

Makes more sense now.