Green stuff on a Monprivato cork

Zai_Chang · December 10, 2011, 10:01pm

This cork came from a 2003 Monprivato opened last night. The top of the cork was pristine, but there were green organic-looking specks on the bottom of the cork, and the wine itself tasted foul with tastes of corroded metal …

I’ve seen crystals on the bottom, or mold on the top of the cork, but never this. Does anyone know what this may be?

E.Todd · December 10, 2011, 10:29pm

Green and metal…sounds like copper. Copper sulfate perhaps? Someone with more knowledge in this area would probably have a better answer, but again, green and metal to me sounds like copper.

Eric_LeVine · December 10, 2011, 11:13pm

Sure sounds like copper in some form. Gross.

Andrew_Demaree · December 10, 2011, 11:19pm

You’re a brave soul. I’m not sure I could’ve gotten myself to drink any…green organic matter and wine don’t mix, for me.

dave_cuneo · December 10, 2011, 11:21pm

Hate to bust it to you, dude, but I know what it is.

Markus_S · December 11, 2011, 1:56am

Weird. Never seen it and never hope to. Perhaps got too close to some crop dusting powder?

Eugene · December 11, 2011, 2:00am

I opened a 2003 that had the same green - however the wine seemed fine and I didn’t detect any off flavors.

Zai_Chang · December 11, 2011, 10:16am

Interesting. I did leave the bottle open and after half a day some of that scent/taste seems to have subsided but still rather undrinkable. Was your bottle showing well, Eugene?

RichSteinberg · December 11, 2011, 2:04pm

Did you turn into the Incredible Hulk or maybe Kermit the Frog after the bottle?

Ken_V · December 11, 2011, 2:14pm

I think Giuseppe did some bottling that year. Those are probably just his boogers.

Nicolai_Soegaard · December 11, 2011, 2:23pm

Sean_GGA_Hardon · December 12, 2011, 8:29am

Zai,

Not really much in the know about this, but pm Birger Verjum who is an expert on Barolo and is out in Piedmont at least 2 to 3 times a year. If you cannot contact him on this forum, contact him through the Wine-pages forum in the UK. He is a regular contributor there. There are also a few Barolo experts on the forum aswell.

John_Morris · December 12, 2011, 1:52pm

It looks like discolored tartrate crystals.

dave_cuneo · December 12, 2011, 4:38pm

John,

I agree with you but like my explanation better.

Eugene · December 12, 2011, 5:37pm

Mine was actually showing reasonably well - nice cherry fruits with good tannin and acid balance. Not as much earth or tar as I’d like, but pretty open for a young barolo - might be the '03 vintage, but I haven’t wanted to open some of my younger bottles to compare.

Oliver_McCrum · December 12, 2011, 7:20pm

As John said, tartrates. I would guess a coincidence between tartrates and some kind of off flavor.

Tartrates are a good thing, generally.