I found two (2) , 3 Liter Bottles of Castello D'Albola Chianti Classico in my mothers basement. They are both sealed in a red , what looks like a wax or plastic coating on top and were stored upright. There is a number A0460058 on a label with a rooster that says "Chianti Classico Consorzio" on it. There is also a paper label DOCG AAA 00915638 around the\at red wax top. Wonder if its any good! Cant find much on internet seems like a inexpensive type wine but the bottle is rare. Can you shed some light on it if you know.
Answer From Expert Roger Bohmrich MW
To give you some guidance, I would need to know the vintage - that's the starting place. A basement could be a decent environment to store wine provided it is cool and dark and not a finished basement with a family room. The fact that the bottles have been kept upright is certainly a concern. Even with a good capsule or wax top, the cork will tend to dry out and shrivel at the bottom. This is the reason wines with natural corks are kept on their sides and in contact with the cork. The older the wine, and the longer the bottles have been standing up, the more doubts there would be about the wine's condition. On the plus side, Castello d'Albola is an estate with a good reputation and should have moderate aging potential depending on the year and cellar conditions.
