A FEW days ago, I got a call from a friend asking what he should do with a "dead" bottle of Chateau Ducru Beaucaillou 1985? He and a friend shared a complete case of the wine which they had bought from a London wine merchant and it had been sent out by air to Singapore recently. This was the first bottle he opened. A great shame as 1985 is a very good year - lovely wines at the peak of maturity. Furthermore, a complete case of Ducru apparently direct from the Chateau would be difficult to find.

This incident reminds us (a) that wines do have a finite life, and (b) to be fully informed of the whole provenance of the BOTTLE when purchasing old wines. At 29 years of age, this bottle or case if indeed it had come direct from the Chateau, as claimed by the merchant, should be in good condition.

On the other hand, had it NOT come direct from the Chateau, it may well have changed hands, travelled by air or by sea in a non-refrigerated container across the Atlantic, both ways, finally landing up in Singapore. In this instance the wine was sour, and well oxidized, indicative of poor provenance. Badly stored.