This could be my issue - I’ve tried decanting for about an hour, and not decanting pouring directly into glasses, but I’ve never left it open for several hours without decanting. Is this how you’re supposed to serve aged wine?
Same experience here as Mike. I’ve had 3 bottles of Ravenswood (2 Zin, 1 Syrah) from the most recent library release and I’ve dumped all of them down the drain. As well as having a few other older wines its just not for me. That spearmint, mushroom, rot, leafy flavor could gag a maggot.
I hope what you are describing as “musty” is not a corked wines, because that can be one of the characteristics of extreme mustiness, like that of a damp basement or wet newspaper. When wines become mature, hopefully the young upfront fruit and youthful tannins are replaced by a more nuanced wine that has more complexity going on. Like others have said, it doesn’t always work out that way, but when it does, it becomes a sublime experience.
I’ve also had the same experience, and have wondered the same thing - what am I doing wrong? Some I’ve decanted for hours, assuming the mustiness would go away, but to no avail.
Yes, decanting only 10-20 min. before serving (after hours of opening) works best for me …
but no guarantee that you will like it better …
Mike,
Every single wine lover has their own favourite method of breathing, decanting and serving wine, what works best for one bottle might not be exactly the treatment needed to bring the best out of the next, with older bottles they are all individuals and nothing can be taken for granted.
I remember feeling the same way as you and I really couldnt understand what all the fuss was about with older wines, to me they just tasted OLD. Then I had a series of epiphanies with older wines that really blew me away and I am still chasing that exact emotion every time I open a bottle.
To me the primary force at work here is personal preference. I would encourage you to continue exploring and experimenting to determine your personal sweet spot(s).
I personally enjoy aged wine. What you perceive as mustiness I might perceive as “muted fruit” or elegance. It is all about what you like.
Have you had clearly corked wine? That taste like wet cardboard and musty.
Can you give us a couple of examples?
What’s that quote about better to drink a wine in it’s youth than in it’s old age. The age of your bottles are much older pushing 40 years for most. It would be really tough to store wines perfectly for that long.
I have been lucky enough to have some older wines (up to 1986 for CA Cabernet, 1967 for Riesling) and have found them to be pretty interesting and complex. For me I would rather have my CA cabernet’s on the 10-15 year side at most and probably 5-10 is safest. There is a little Brett at the open, but after 1-2 hours, the smell wears down. The offlines that Jonathan put together in NYC (and a recent tasting that Shan put together) is where I have been able to taste many of these older wines that the New York wine group have been collecting… thanks to a group (Jonathan, Tom, Mike, Dinesh, Chris, Tony, Dennis, Wendi, if I forgot anyone my apologies), as well as the German Riesling Study that Robert put together (thanks Jay for the Hune 
and thanks Robert for placing me at an amazing, amazing table) and of course, David for hosting another amazing wine tasting gathering.
Mike - I would look at notes from those tastings, they are out there for the WOTN or good call outs. I haven’t tasted that many old Bordeaux or CA Cabernets, but the ones at those tastings didn’t have the musty notes that you mentioned. I do feel like there is generally some Brett at the opening of the bottles, but it blows over after 1-2 hours. Definitely old Rieslings will not be musty. Diamond Mountain, Ravenswood, Barolos, Champagnes, Burgundies, and German/Austrian Rieslings in my limited tastings seem to have some interesting notes when aged 15-20-30 years.
I’m guessing as well that this is your problem. Many older wines need time to wake up, so I suspect you are trying to consume them before they’ve had a chance to come alive. Mustiness and mushrooms are not prominent components for me of good aged wines, and the vast majority have plenty of fruit, and hopefully soaring aromatics.
I think the most interesting thing in this thread is how many people agree with the OP.
Based on my recent streak of 2005 Right Bank and 2009 Bojo…feels like I’m cellaring wines to not like them with age. 
RT
That was my first thought as well. I have had many aged wines and the only musty ones, are corked.
I’m flat out surprised, given the audience
But hey, more old wine for me! ![[berserker.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/8/8600bbd4810d342b8fbd4ffb62b4f0026275fd37.gif "berserker"){kind=small}
Someone opened a 1990 Rayas yesterday. There was seepage, so he knew it might be compromised. It wasn’t undrinkable (and was very smooth), but there was no fruit left and it was a bit musty, especially at first.
We also opened a 2001 Riesling Auslese, which was musty upon opening (someone smelled “mothballs,” though others disagree). However, after an hour or so, the wine really showing very well.
I think there’s a lot of potential variation with older bottles. Sometimes they need some air, sometimes they weren’t stored ideally, sometimes it could’ve just been an off bottle to begin with, etc. I think you should keep on tasting old wines when you get the chance, but maybe no invest too heavily in them unless you finally discover something that impresses you.
I haven’t, but given that I see this on nearly every bottle I try I can’t imagine that they are all corked.
Good time to revive this thread…
For what it’s worth, I’ve discussed this with folks who are seriously into wine, and I’ve gotten several similar responses. One of these folks has a theory that aged wine is an emperor’s new clothes situation, and no one really enjoys deeply aged wine, but everyone is afraid to admit it.
Which for the most part, is truly laughable. I assume it was meant tongue in check.
Mike, something to try is to participate in a vertical of some wineries that are known to age beautifully. It gives you a great perspective on how wine X changes over time, and will help you calibrate what stage of evolution you seem to prefer. If none are on the horizon, grab some buddies and say 4-6 wines of pedigree, say a Classified Growth Bordeaux, to try at key stages, primary, secondary and tertiary. Something like 2014-2016 for Bottle 1, 2000-04 for Bottle 2, Perhaps 1990 or 1995 for Bottle 3, and then something classic from the 1980s. Could toss in an 09 and 05 for extra measure. I would personally recommend a wine that stylistically has not changed, not new modern consultants, as that introduces a new variable. A Leoville Barton would be excellent.