[question] Question submitted by Jon Borroff, Australia. A couple of questions if you have a minute. 1. I was have a bottle of the Penfolds 03A vintage 2000 Chardonay in my dark closet. I noticed recently that there are some particles floating around when I inspected. Does this mean it is starting to go south? 2. I have about 10 cases of fairly good wine (from basic Bin range Penfolds, to Saltram Barossa No. 1, Wolf Blass Grey Label, Penfolds Bin 707 etc). I have stored them for the last few years in my closet which gets minimal light, but the temperatures probably do fluctuate, especially in the summer (I live on the coast in Sydney). Have I already done too much damage to these wines to justify putting them in a managed cellar? [/question] [answer] Jon, with reference to the first question, the particles could be a combination of tartaric acid and protein, although I’d be very surprised if Penfolds didn’t cold stabilise this wine to prevent this. Either way, I wouldn’t be too concerned. Just make sure not to get them stuck between your teeth. Secondly, my view towards wine cellaring in Sydney is that in almost all cases, some form of temperature control is a major prerequisite. You won’t know how much damage has been caused to these wines (if indeed at all) without tasting them. I reckon you’d get a pretty fair answer from Dean Taylor’s team at Wine-Ark. [/answer]
