Condition of the bottles
All of our bottles are in excellent condition considering their age. It is perfectly normal for a bottle of the following age to be in the indicated condition:
Wines from 10 to 15 years old :
Wines from 16 to 30 years old :
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Bordeaux : Level SL : slightly low
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Bourgogne : Level 3 cm or less than 3cm under the cork
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Label in good condition or slightly marked by time
Wines from 31 to 50 years old :
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Bordeaux : Level TS : top shoulder or higher
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Bourgogne : Level 4 cm or less than 4 cm under the cork
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Label in good condition or marked by time but perfectly readable
Wines more than 50 years old :
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Bordeaux : Level TS (-) top/mid shoulder or higher
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Bourgognes : Level 5/6 cm or less than 5/6 cm under the cork
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Label in good condition or significantly marked by time but still readable
SoDivin believes in complete transparency concerning the condition of each bottle. The rare bottles that are in less-than-perfect condition are described according to the criteria below :
Explanation of the level of wine
It is normal that the condition of bottles, stocked even under perfect conditions, change with time. A 10-year-old bottle will generally not have the same appearance as a 60-year-old bottle.
A cork does not hermitically seal a bottle, therefore the level of wine slightly diminishes over time. There are 2 reasons that this phenomenon may be accelerated: stocking in a cellar that is too warm and/or a cork that is weak and more porous than average.
According to the norms established by the leading auction houses, the level of wine in a bottle of Bordeaux is defined as the following:
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BN : base of neck
SL : slightly low
TS : top shoulder
TS (-) : top/mid shoulder
MS : mid shoulder
LS : low shoulder
BLS : below low shoulder
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Burgundy wines are generally much less affected by this phenomenon of the level decreasing than Bordeaux wines.
For example, a level of 5 to 7 cm under the cork of a 50-year-old Burgundy may be considered normal to good.
From 3,5 to 4 cm below the cork is considered excellent for its age.
Up to 7 cm under the cork, there is rarely a risk to the quality of the wine. |
Explanation of the condition of the label
The labels of ancient bottles are generally marked by the years spent in the cellar. A good hygrometry (level of humidity in the cave) which insures good stocking conditions in the cellar, is often fatal for the label.
Should you worry about it ?
There are however, two exceptions: labels that were protected by the owner and those that were relabeled at the château. Labels showing slight flaws (small tears and traces of humidity) are considered good. The other flaws are defined as the following:
On the contrary. A label in perfect condition may lead us to conclude that the bottle was stored in a cellar that was too dry and therefore detrimental to the wine.
SD : slightly damaged : spots and/or tears and/or traces of humidity that do not obstruct the readability.
FD : fairly damaged : spots and/or tears and/or traces of humidity. Reading is sometimes more difficult.
HD : highly damaged : significant spots and/or tears and/or significant traces of humidity. Reading difficult.
Explanation of the condition of the capsule
Capsules could have, unfortunately, been damaged during handling. In general, this does not affect the quality of the wine. However, a piercing on the top of a capsule may increase the risk of evaporation or leakage.
Bottles with wear or damage on the side of the capsule are considered good. Others are defined as the following :
DC : damaged cap : top of the capsule is pierced.
