In my experience reconditioned bottles were usually not as good as original (sound) ones. Either a bit dull with less expression or with a whiff of oxidation.
I have, at times, experienced the same. And going back to my early days of tasting when I was learning from a generation that was accustomed to drinking Bordeaux back to the late 1800s, whether a bottle had been reconditioned was a big deal- depending on the exact circumstances, if known. For example, was the bottle topped up with same vintage or a newer vintage? Was it just recorked? Was it chateau stock or from a private collection that had been reconditioned when the chateau went on tour doing so? Many many questions.
No question that it should be advertised. At the very least I would call and ask if it was old chateau stock that had just been released, and make your decision from there.
My experience with Chateau Musar has been that original releases are still singing and can be still relatively youthful, but late releases from the winery (which have been recorked) can feel quite tired and slightly oxidative. I’m not sure whether their cellars are not optimal for long-term storage or if they just are not handling the recorking / reconditioning process properly.
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If you knew some of the bottles were reconditioned, would you still have bought them? Expected to pay less for them? Expected to pay more? The same?
I think those answers determine your next step(s).
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1985 seems fairly young to need recorking.
Also, unlike others, $150 seems to be a relatively high price for a wine that I tasted from a normal uncorked bottle at a 1985 horizontal. While not the worst wine there, it was well in the bottom half, so when you drink it, your expectations should not be overly high.
I am delighted that La Gaffeliete is now making really good wines, but there was a long period of mediocrity.
it now has a new cork and therefore has a second chance at being corked.
For me, I avoid reconditioned bottles. Are they topped with new vintage or the same as original wine? Why did it need to be reconditioned—poor ullage? Was it done under an oxygen-free environment?
Should have been disclosed in condition.
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Seriously?
You pay however much and they are going to cork your wine…lol
I’d guess those are not random corks from the barrel that’s been resting in the cellar for 100years
I would have a lot more faith in a 2022 cork than one in 1987 (presumed original bottling year). The rate of TCA contamination has come way down in the last ~15 years. Having a recently recorked bottle effectively screens for the 8-12% TCA-infected rate in the 80s.
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Sorry, but that’s completely wrong. First, today, few, if any chateau do this for private customers. So, that bottle has been stored since it was bottled at the chateau. It’s a guarantee of provenance.
What happens is the chateau opens the bottle, smells it, decides if it’s a good wine or not. If the wine is not in good condition, they pour it out.
If the wine is in good condition, but needs a bit more wine, the chateau will top it off with the same wine using a small tube and a bit of nitrogen. The bottle is cleaned and a dose of sulfur dioxide, SO2 will be added to further protect the wine from exposure to air, caused by recorking the wine.
***For the OP, due to addition of nitrogen and SO2, it’s best wait for 4-5 years after the recorking before opening the bottle.
That being said, the bottles are clearly marked so the seller should have informed you.
Up to you to return it, or keep it.
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Ah, bit disappointing. We were hoping to open one of the bottles for my wife’s birthday this weekend.
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You can. But it might not be as good as it could be.
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Thanks for the detailed info, Jeff.
I’m unclear by what you mean about the bottle being cleaned. Do they decant the wine, clean the bottle, then refill it? If so, are they removing the sediment?
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Same bottle, not decanted. Clean around the top, and outside. At most chateau, they begin checking corks for possible rebouche. Most corks do nit last forever.
1985 is 40 years old. Where did the time go? 
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One of the first formal tastings I remember was 1985 Bordeaux at release, where did the time go? 
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Welp, we opened a bottle tonight and it seems to have gone bad. Not even drinkable. One of the interesting things is that the sticker on the bottle said reconditioned in 2022, but the cork was a cheap particle cork that said it was reconditioned in 2023. Doesn’t seem like something the chateau would mess up.
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I’d be making a phone call on Monday. Save everything.
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A lot depends on how it was done. In this case, based on your account, it seems not terribly well.
But the elasticity of a cork can be expected to last for only around 25 years, which is why top châteaux and big houses such as Bouchard have typically recorked their stocks around the 25-year point. It’s an art in itself that not all have mastered.
The gold standard apparatus for doing it today is this: Michael Paetzold • Oenotechnical awareness
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pardon the pun, but can you please expand on this a bit? this doesn’t seem like a long enough period for most of the wines collectors collect.
After around 25 years, ullage increases, bottle variation goes up, and wines become more sensitive to transit. The less you move them, the better your milage will be, and of course many wines still show brilliantly. But the physical limitations of the closure are what they are.
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Understood and certainly good to know. I bet most people would have guessed longer.