Bought this mag earlier in the year from a retailer/dealer; just got delivered. Original offer made no mention of a cut or twisted label or ripped Riserva label. Rest of the bottle labels and glass seem genuine to me. Retailer says that it came from a private collector who buys on release and they are confident it is genuine, though are ok with me returning it.
So either someone took off the capsule, drank the wine, refilled with plonk and reapplied capsule or it is real and someone just tried to twist the capsule, damaging it in the process.
Barry,
I know next to nothing about authentication, but you already know the answer.
This quacks just like a FAKE. Why would a collector who only buys on release cut the capsule in order to benignly check the cork? This wine has become a legend, but no one would have been suspicious in 1992 (when first purchased) about its genuineness. Glad that the dealer is willing to refund your purchase, but it’s a shame that it’ll be re-sold to a less careful buyer.
Regards,
Peter
The riserva sticker looks ripped , it looks as if somebody already opend the capsule and then put it back on. I’ve seen several bottles of this wine but never something like this. If you can return it you should probably do that
Looks like the capsule has been removed at some point to me. Easy to find out though, I guess. If you can relatively easily twist it off (again) that should give you a fair indication. Could be down to storage but depends on the condition of the rest of the bottle. As the riserva has been cut across, my (admittedly baseless) guess would be that the capsule was twisted off by a sommelier at a restaurant, who then kept the cap and sold it off with the empty bottle.
Eric, of course. Didn’t think of it. It came right off. Will attach pics of what I found. Interestingly the cork is stamped 1990, but it has a cut in it, which looks really suspicious. I just don’t feel good about the bottle.
Here they are. Bottle, front and back label (and importer label) look real. Capsule was twisted off. Question is, was that done for the purpose of taking the cork out and refilling the bottle, or for purpose of confirming vintage stamp on cork. Either way, this doesn’t appear to have been
bought and stored since release.
The capsule is correct, the cork is correct and doesn’t look like it’s moved. It might be as simple as the previous owner started to open the bottle then had second thoughts. I have a few bottles with cut or missing capsules for the same reason. When are you going to find another? It is of course a calculation whether to keep or return but I do not see evidence of falsification here. The only issue I do have is that I don’t believe that import strip dates from release, which could lead to reasonable doubt about the whole story. Still, based on what I’m seeing I’d be keeping it.
Seeing the condition of the label and cork (and stamping of the cork), I’m with Greg. I have seen issues with caps from time to time where the wine is fine.
Agreed, if it wasn’t for the slit in the cork I might have kept it, as the cork is almost certainly genuine (thought I just hate capsules that have been removed). The combination of the slit in the cork, the dodgy capsule, and potential issue with the import slip would be too much for me. I’m pretty sure it’s possible to remove a cork by pushing a sharp, thin knife into it and twisting/pulling it out. Worth trying on a bottle that you’re planning to open anyway, and pushing it back in, to see if it leaves a similar mark. What’s particularly concerning to me is crease between the slit and the neck - it looks like it could have resulted from reapplying pressure after reinsertion.
Indeed, I have a couple of bottles that I’ve done that to as well but they all have cut, rather than twisted off capsules. Do many people twist them off?
Hard decision. It is a unicorn wine, particularly in mag. Cost was $1250. So not a break the bank bottle, but nothing to sneeze at. I’d feel really stupid if I identified the problem, but nevertheless cracked the bottle and ended up with a nice kee ante. I’ve asked the retailer if he can ask his customer (who supplied the wine) some questions. Let’s see what he comes back with.
