LeDomduVin: Discarding expensive empty bottles of wine

Discarding expensive empty bottles of wine
by and for ©LeDomduVin 2021 (1)

Discarding expensive empty bottles of wine

It is that time of the month again. Every month, after doing the stocktaking and making sure that there is no discrepancies nor any variations in the stocks, I discard all the expensive empty bottles of wine. 

Discarding these expensive empty bottles is an important task, and even necessary (monthly or bimonthly), to prevent them from being found, re-used, put back and sold on the grey market by counterfeiters, con artists and other crooks.

Discarding expensive empty bottles of wine
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It might sound absurd, to some of you, yet, you wouldn't believe the price some counterfeiters are ready to pay for an original empty bottle, (moreover with the label intact and in good conditions), from a famous producer, especially those from the top Grand Crus Chateaux of Bordeaux and the top Domaines & Maisons de Bourgogne (Burgundy).  

In fact, the value of an empty bottle from any of the first growths (or same pedigree) of both banks in Bordeaux (especially old vintages, obviously) and top tears burgundy such as DRC, Jayer, Armand Rousseau, Leroy, Leflaive, etc... can get quite high, and even mind-boggling for the bottles that are engraved like Petrus and Haut-Brion, for example.    

Discarding expensive empty bottles of wine
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Consequently, the labels have to be disfigured, and the bottles, (more especially the old and rare ones and the ones that are engraved like Petrus and Haut-Brion, for example), have to be broken into pieces.

 

Discarding expensive empty bottles of wine
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And that's what I do for a little hour once a month. As you can see on the pictures above and below, I take a marker and "disfigure" the labels, with a rather elegantly abstract artistic touch. 😁 

I take a lot of pleasure doing it, as, as a "Wine Quality Control Director", it is my duty and responsibility to make sure that it is done, and properly done. So, I rather do it myself. 

Discarding expensive empty bottles of wine
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Yet, disfiguring and breaking these bottles is also heartbreaking, as I have been taking care and giving a lot of TLC to these "old ladies", (as I like to call them), for these past 9 years. I know them well. They are like my babies. 

Discarding expensive empty bottles of wine
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Sometimes, if possible, (as some are really hard to remove), I keep some labels for my own private collection. I use them as references to compare them with others when I do bottles inspection / authentication. 

Discarding expensive empty bottles of wine
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Fortunately, some labels escaped and were spared from disfigurement, too rare to be penned with my artistic touch. 😉😁👍🍷

Not all of them could be saved, though... too hard to remove from the bottle ... 😢

Discarding expensive empty bottles of wine
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I did 2 little videos while disfiguring the labels and breaking the bottles, I will upload them as soon as I manage to figure out how.  

This last picture shows the big rubbish bin I used, filled with a countless amount of broken expensive bottles of wine, after destroying them all one by one. 

Don't worry they didn't have time to suffer... 😁👍

Discarding expensive empty bottles of wine
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Descriptions of the bottles on the pictures above 

- Picture 1 - 

• DRC Romanee-Saint-Vivant Marey-Monge 1996 (× 2)  ( @_domainedelaromaneeconti )
• Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle 1990 ( @pauljabouletaine ) 
• Château Rayas Reserve 1995 ( @chateaurayas )

- Picture 2 - 

• Château Lafite Rothschild 1986  ( @chateaulafiterothschild )
• Château La Mission Haut-Brion 1996  ( @chateaulamissionhautbrion )
• Château Rayas Reserve 1995 ( @chateaurayas )
• Château Lafleur Pomerol 1981  ( @chateau_lafleur )

- Picture 3 - 

• Château Léoville Las Cases 1986 ( @chateauleovillelascases )
• Château Cos d'Estournel 1986 ( @cosdestournel )
• Château Le Bon Pasteur 1986 ( @chateaulebonpasteur )
• Château Trotanoy 1990 ( @chateautrotanoy )

- Picture 4 - 

• DRC La Tache 1990 & 1995 ( @_domainedelaromaneeconti )
• Château Haut-Brion 1986 ( @chateauhautbrion_ )

- Picture 5 - 

• Chateau Cheval Blanc 1990 ( @chateauchevalblanc_ )
• Petrus 1985 ( @chateaupetrus ) 
• Chateau Pape Clement 1990 ( @chateaupapeclement ) 
• Chateau Ausone 1995  ( @chateau_ausone_officiel )

- Picture 6 - 

• DRC La Tache 1993 ( @_domainedelaromaneeconti )
• DRC Romanee Conti 1967  ( @_domainedelaromaneeconti )
• Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 1961 & 1978 ( @pauljabouletaine )
• Henry Jayer Vosne-Romanee Cros-Parantoux 1978 ( #henrijayer )

- Picture 7 - 

• Château d'Yquem 1929  ( @yquem_official  )
• Petrus 1961 (I have doubt on that particular label, I wonder... 🤔🤔🤔) and Petrus 1978 ( @chateaupetrus )
• Château Mouton Rothschild 1986  ( @moutonnechange )
• Château Latour 1959 & 1982  ( #chateaulatour  )
• DRC Romanee Conti 1967  ( @_domainedelaromaneeconti )
• Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1959  ( @chateaulafiterothschild )

- Picture 8 - 

• Petrus 1961 (I have doubts on that label, I wonder 🤔🤔🤔,.. some details are different from other Petrus 61 I have seen in my 30 years career...)  ( @chateaupetrus )
• Château d'Yquem 1929 ( @yquem_official )
• Henri Jayer Vosne-Romanee Cros-Parantoux 1978  ( #henrijayer )
• Château Latour 1959 & 1961 ( #chateaulatour )
• Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 1961 & 1978  ( @pauljabouletaine )

- Picture 9 - 

A big rubbish bin filled with a countless amount of broken expensive bottles of wine, after destroying them all one by one.  

Voilà! That's all folks for today.  

Thank you for reading my post, and take good care of yourself, your family and friends, and give each other love, 'cause that's all we got! 

Cheers! Santé! 

Dom

LeDomduVin (aka Dominique Noel) 

PS: A lot of bottles were harmed in the process, and I sincerely send my deepest condolences to the Chateaux and Domaines, but it was for a good cause... please do not call the "Wine Bottle Rights Organizations" on me, I know it is cruel, but I'm only doing what's right! One day you'll understand... 😉😁 

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