A friend has been asked by a collector what could be making the capsules of his well-stored 1986 Ch. Margaux turn white. My friend says the white is blotchy, i.e., not uniform and is on the outside of the capsule. Supposedly this just started and hasn't happened to other bottles in the cellar. Anyone have a clue as to what could be causing this?
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bizarre corroded capsule question
- Thread starter maureen
- Start date
kirk wallace
kirk wallace
originally posted by maureen:
bizarre corroded capsule questionA friend has been asked by a collector what could be making the capsules of his well-stored 1986 Ch. Margaux turn white. My friend says the white is blotchy, i.e., not uniform and is on the outside of the capsule. Supposedly this just started and hasn't happened to other bottles in the cellar. Anyone have a clue as to what could be causing this?
I don't know, but I will say that alone among my bordeaux, my '78 Margaux bottles have a similar white deposit on their capsules -- sort of like the build up on a car battery terminal. I had assumed it was just some sort of oxide of the alloy of lead or zinc (or whatever the hell the capsules are made from). I don't have a lot of other Margaux (a few '83 and some '95s), but last i checked those capsules don't have the white build up.
Ian Fitzsimmons
Ian Fitzsimmons
Lead paint?
originally posted by maureen:
bizarre corroded capsule questionA friend has been asked by a collector what could be making the capsules of his well-stored 1986 Ch. Margaux turn white. My friend says the white is blotchy, i.e., not uniform and is on the outside of the capsule. Supposedly this just started and hasn't happened to other bottles in the cellar. Anyone have a clue as to what could be causing this?
Most likely lead salts, such as lead oxide or lead acetate. Lead capsules weren't phased out in Europe until the early '90s, so most of my wine from the '80s and earlier sports traditional lead capsules. I'd look to see if the cork is leaky, as it is corrosion from contact with the acidic wine that promotes the formation of the lead salts. Lead acetate is especially sinister as it dissolves readily in wine (lending a sweet flavor to it) and can lead (no pun intended) to lead poisoning if enough is consumed.
Mark Lipton
kirk wallace
kirk wallace
originally posted by MLipton:
originally posted by maureen:
bizarre corroded capsule question?
Lead acetate is especially sinister as it dissolves readily in wine (lending a sweet flavor to it) and can lead (no pun intended) to lead poisoning if enough is consumed.
Mark Lipton
uh oh ...
Levi Dalton
Levi Dalton
originally posted by SFJoe:
Yes, a wipe with the wet towel could save the odd IQ point or two.
Now you tell me!