Q. I was offered a 2011 Chambertin Burgundy that has never been cellar-aged. I purchased one bottle. The cork was horrible, but the wine was preserved, and it was very delicious. I have the opportunity to buy all 11 other bottles. My question is, can I somehow remove the corks on all of them, apply argon, and put new high-quality corks on each bottle so I can properly store them in my wine cellar?
Cambize Shahrdar 
via email

A. You’ve found yourself in one of those situations that makes a wine collector both excited and just a little nervous.

A 2011 Chambertin (a Grand Cru from Burgundy made from Pinot Noir) is a serious bottle of wine, and the fact that you opened one despite a badly deteriorated cork only to discover the wine was still vibrant and delicious is encouraging. It tells us that while the cork may have been physically compromised, it evidently protected the wine well enough for it to age gracefully.

To answer your question, yes, it is possible to replace the corks on mature wines. It isn’t without some risk, but it can certainly be done.

Before I’d rush to recork any bottles, though, I’d want to know whether there’s actually a problem that needs fixing.

If the retailer is willing, I would ask if the capsules could be carefully removed so the corks can be inspected. Since they sound like they want to offload the wine anyway, they might be game; it’s worth an ask. The capsule itself has essentially nothing to do with the wine’s ability to age. Its job is to protect the top of the bottle and keep the cork clean. Removing it won’t hurt the wine or affect future cellaring.

What you’re looking for are obvious signs that a cork may be failing. Is it pushed upward? Has it sunk unusually low into the neck? Is it visibly cracked or crumbling? Are there signs that wine has seeped around the cork? If the corks appear sound and the fill levels are good, I’d be inclined to leave them exactly as they are. After all, they’ve successfully protected these wines for the past 15 years.

On the other hand, if you discover corks that are clearly deteriorating, replacing them becomes a reasonable option. A careful recorking with new, high-quality natural corks, along with a quick blanket of argon in the headspace before inserting the new cork, can help minimize oxygen exposure during the process. It doesn’t completely eliminate the risk, but it can be a practical way to preserve these wines.

One final thought. A compromised-looking cork doesn’t always mean the wine underneath has been compromised. Your first bottle is a perfect example. Conversely, a cork that looks perfectly healthy doesn’t absolutely guarantee the wine inside is pristine. Cork is a remarkable natural material, but it isn’t perfect. That’s part of both the charm and the gamble of collecting older wines.

Mature Grand Cru Burgundy is one of wine’s great pleasures, and opportunities to purchase well-stored bottles don’t come along every day.