Help From Knowledgeable Wine Buffs, Please.

[derekpara]

I've discovered three long-lost bottles of red wine under the stairs and would like to know if I should chuck them, drink them ASAP or if they are safe to store for a future special occasion.

If any are of significant value I would be delighted to know. ( ' Significant' for me would be £25 or more.

1. 1990 Cote du Ventoux ( La Vieille Ferme) 'Mis en bouteille a la Vieille Ferme'

2. 1985 Mouton-Cadet Bordeaux , Baron Philippe.

3. 2003 Chateaux Bertaud Bordeaux. Premier Cotes de Blaye.

[dannyk13]

2.£35
http://www.wine-searcher.com/wine-54706-1985-baron-philippe-de-rothschild-mouton-cadet-bordeaux-france

[dannyk13]

If you google the others you should be able to find out their value.

[Togo]

Derek have these bottles been laid down so as the corks have not had time dry out and shrink? Being stored upright is not good in the long term or a bottle of wine that is to be kept. The Mouton Cadet sounds interesting.

[Togo]

If DT picks up your post he will know.

[Buenchico]

The Mouton-Cadet is (or, at least, was) a reasonably decent drop of plonk. If it's been stored properly (on its side, with the base of the bottle slightly raised relative to the top, to ensure that the cork can't have dried out) there's a good chance that it remains highly quaffable. (1985 was good year for Bordeaux). It's not highly valuable though, simply because Mouton Cadet is produced in quite large quantities. (You can pick up a bottle of the recently produced stuff for a tenner in Morrisons). A quick bit of googling suggests a price of around £20 to £30 for the 1985 vintage.

I'd open it and expect it to be fairly similar to the £10 bottle which Morrison's can sell you (although possibly just a bit better) but I'd have another bottle of something on standby in case it turned out to be like vinegar.

[derekpara]

The bottle have always been on their side.

[Buenchico]

I'd be amazed if a white wine, such as the Vieille Ferme, was much good after 16 years. Ditch it.

Château Grand Bertaud Bordeaux is nothing special. You can pick up a bottle from a recent year for around £6, so it's unlikely that a 2003 vintage would be worth much more than that. (2003 wasn't a good year for 'bog standard' Bordeaux wines anyway). Again, open it to try it but have a bottle of something else on standby if it turns out to be rubbish.

[Togo]

After a little snooping around Derek that 1985 Rothschild Mouton Cadet was selling for an average price of £60 a bottle this October, the average availability was 4. On the down side it is a bit of a niche market in terms of popularity compared to other wines.

[Togo]

The figure that Danny kindly provided was an average price since Nov 2014.

[derekpara]

Very many thanks to you all, especially the ubiquitous Chris Buenchico.

I shall be happily busy for the next few days !

D