On a similar note, could this be just a thumbtack hole? Once the bottle goes above $50 I would be suspect. There’s going to be tons of people out there finally getting a taste of something and finding it’s not worth it keeping it around once they have. Unscrupulous persons everywhere. Why take a chance? Bottom line, giving it back should be the norm. Them ever taking it makes it their problem. Time for retailers of previously owned wines and auction houses to step up their due-diligence.
Just had a '69 Chappellet last week that was absolutely singing.
One of the best CA cabs I’ve ever had.
If those '74 Mags were stored half-way decently, they should be a real treat.
Thanks for info! Well, I guess I did maybe miss out on a good bottle then. And the Winebid person did know what he was talking about. But this has been an insightful thread so thanks all for input.
Agrees with my observations. I also noticed that 2003s have holes.
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I just checked a couple dozen random, mostly European, bottles in my cave; at least half had small, evenly spaced holes in the capsule, usually two, but a few had three and one I found had four. Not one in that small sample had a single, centered hole, though. I’ve always thought that the holes (when present) were to allow the capsules to go onto the bottle necks with less resistance from trapped air .
If that is what the holes look like, they are coming from being punched from underneath, not above. A sign of being there prior to the capsule being added to the bottle.
I thought it was peculiar but I do remember seeing these puncture holes in previous bottlings.
So I think it is legit.
Another example:
