Well, thinking on it…not making any statement regarding the veracity of the OP’s claim…
If you knew nothing about wine and came across this, how would you name it for the purpose of asking questions?
How would someone describe this if they didn’t know wine?
I don’t mean to pee on any skeptics’ parade, just wondering how we would expect the names to be presented.
Rebecca, your post has generated some suspicion here because La Tache is very expensive wine made in relatively small quantities by one of the world’s most renowned wineries for a long time so there is great demand for it by collectors. That demand also attracts counterfeiters and some participants here played important roles in the exposure of convicted counterfeiter Rudy Kurniawan. That can lead some here to be very (and sometimes overly) sensitive and suspicious when a new poster appears with questions about the kinds of wines that are frequently the subject of fraud, which in turn can make this seem like an unfriendly and unwelcoming place.
Given the quality and value of the wines you inherited, I would suggest that you contact a reputable auction house if you want to sell them. It sounds like the kind of collection that would be of interest to them and it makes it less likely that someone will seek to take advantage of you. Hart Davis Hart is Chicago is well regarded and I’ve had good experiences as a buyer with Heritage Auctions.
As to your question about the fill level. In a sloped Burgundy bottle like La Tache, the fill is measured by the distance between the bottom of the cork and the level of the wine, and the greater the distance, the more of a problem it may be, depending on the age of the wine. If the bottle has shoulders, like the Haut Brions, any fill in the neck for a 25+ year old wine is unlikely to be a problem.
Good post, Mike.
The suspicion seems a bit much here. The OP seems to know enough to recognize the names of some of the better wines, but just had questions about how to evaluate the condition of the bottles. If someone has limited experience actually drinking older wines or buying at auction, I’m not surprised that the person wouldn’t have a good sense of what level of ullage is a problem, and this seems like a logical place to ask the question.
Thanks Mike!
I actually emailed Rebecca a couple of days ago.
Thank you for the information Mike, I will contact an auction house. Probably more for an appraisal and a professional opinion, as I cannot look at something and tell if it’s good or not. Sorry for the suspicion, I kind of understand in light of Mike’s comments about fakes. I collect glass art and if someone had sold fakes around I would be very suspicious as well. However, What point is there to saying you don’t know about something when you do? I’m not sure how else to ask a question or try and find answers. I also don’t think that I offered to sell to anyone. I just wanted to know what we had, if it was good, and how to find that out in case we HAD to sell. You are all certainly entitled to your opinions, but I didn’t realize this would upset people. I’m sorry for that. And thank you Mike for trying to clarify.
Disagree very very strongly. If you don’t know French labels and see a la tache bottle, you’d call it a la tache cause it’s in huge bold letterings. More prominent than anything else on the label
Yes, you are probably right.
Irrespective of details, a poster asking how she can sell her deceased uncle’s collection of La Tache and Haut-Brion so that she can buy health care for that same deceased uncle’s animals is bound to raise a skeptical eyebrow or two. Or maybe not. Wine collectors are very intelligent as a group after all. 
In any event, seems like Rebecca is in contact with auction house and has given further details here so skepticism likely unwarranted in this instance.
A lot of people here get easily upset even when they are not affected. ![[rofl.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/a/a7452fcd8e675af869f8da01174474a545b03944.gif "rofl"){kind=small}
Talk to Ian Dorin. He’s a good guy that can help vouch for their authenticity and can help you sell them.
Besides, unless OP is selling directly to someone on this board, what does it matter? No auction house is going to authenticate wine based on a few chat board posts saying “lucky you - those are valuable wines”.
Why not take OP at face value, provide her with the info that these bottles, unless fake, are likely valuable and, unless she wants to drink them, could likely sell them through a reputable seller/auctioneer for a lot of money? After that, let her and her selected seller deal with authenticity issues. And if she comes back here and tells us “I’m bummed - auctioneer told me they’re all fakes” then we can refer her to the Rudy thread.
I agree, we should let the OP contact some auction houses, and then ask her what they say. I don’t think any of us want to imply more ill will on the part of the OP. Who among us wouldn’t be pleased to be the conduit from a treasured cellar to a connoisseur’s palate?
This.
While we can each have our hunches about these bottles, unless / until Rebecca tries to sell them to anyone here, she really hasn’t done anything suspicious. Why would a counterfeiter or crook come ask these kinds of questions here?
Best wishes to you, Rebecca, whatever the outcome with the bottles. 89 Haut Brion is probably the best wine I’ve ever had, it’s an all time classic. If you can save one of those for yourself, do so.
To play devil’s advocate, there are a couple points to be made:
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If the OP was a scammer, he or she could be acting naive in hopes of hooking a few fish privately.
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The OP could be a troll.
I’m not saying either is true, but a small dose of skepticism keeps you from getting bilked if a scam is afoot.
No flaming here as I thought the same thing. Just a sceptic.
I would chug these, fridge-cold and preferably with pizza. The faster you drink, the better, otherwise the magic will dissipate. And if you dont like the La Tache, just blend it with the Haut Brion - it’s an acquired taste.
