124 



this ; the cask must be quietly unbunged, and the canula or funnel in- 

 vented by M. Horpin plunged pretty deep into the cask ; good wine 

 being poured through this instrument, the spoiled wine on the top 

 runs over at the bung, without mingling with tlie wine of the cask, 

 or that used in filling up. 



n. Of Bitterness. 



This complaint generally befals only the best wines, and is one 

 of^ the results of age. The wines of L'Yonne, a part of Cote'd'Or, 

 and of Saone and Loire, which are very subject to it, have, when 

 mature, a slight undertaste of acerbity ; they are often limpid while 

 labouring under this alteration. If they are in casks they may be re- 

 stored by passing them over new lees, or renewing them with fresh 

 wine of the same vineyard ; but they have lost their bouquet, and are 

 perpetually on the brink of relapsing. |They must be drawn off and 

 employed immediately, or else made into brandy. A cask may be fined 

 with the whites of four fresh eggs, and left to settle a month or two ; 

 and then, if perfectly clear, be racked off into afresh well-sulphured 

 vessel. 



If the wine is bottled, it may be hoped that it will re-establish itself 

 at the end of two or three years, if not touched or disturbed. The 

 wine has then lost in its bouquet, and colour, but gained in finish and 

 delicacy ; is very agreeable to drink and cordial to the stomach. It must 

 be drawn oflf before it is moved abroad ; some Vine-growers accele- 

 rate the recovery of the bottled wine by carefully drawing it oflf when« 

 ever they perceive that it has deposited a sediment, 



4. Loss fif Colmir, or Turbidness. 



All wines as they grow old become paler and are the better for it ; 

 but the loss of colour which is an injury, renders the wine opake ; 

 red wines become black, and white wines take a livid 'yellow hue, and 

 the taste becomes very disagreeable ; they are then called scorched. 



The first thing to be done is to remove the bung and air the wine ; 

 then rack it off into a well-sulphured cask, place it in a very cool cel- 

 lar, there rack it anew and fine it. If these means do not suffice, 

 there must be a mixture tried of stout and bland wines, old and new 

 wines ; but only those must be used that are of the same vineyard. 

 If none such are on hand, recourse may be had to those already 



