The fill level of a bottle can tell you a great deal about the condition of the contents. The lower the fill level, the more space for oxygen within the bottle which can hasten the ageing process. The term "ullage" (technically
the unfilled space in a barrel or wine bottle) is sometimes used with the same meaning as fill level.
The major reasons for low fill levels are:
Wine naturally breathes through the cork as it ages and it is this process
which adds complexity and finesse - and lower levels of liquid
in the bottle. However, fill levels lower than expected for a wine's age
indicate a problem leading to 20% to 50% reductions in value. For wines
up to 20 years old, the level should be in the neck. For wines 20 to 40
years old, anything below top shoulder is less than expected.
There are different fill level abbreviations for Bordeaux and Burgundy shaped bottles. The most commonly used terms are
listed below.
Fill Level for Bordeaux Bottles
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Mid-neck
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A "mid-neck" fill indicates a wine that has been well stored. In much older wines (40 years+) this may indicate that the wine has been reconditioned in some way.
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Base-neck
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Many producers fill bottles to the "base-neck" level. For older wines (over 20 years) this level indicates exceptional storage conditions.
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Top-shoulder
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A wine which is over 10 years old with a "top-shoulder" fill should be considered acceptable. Older wines will only have a "top-shoulder" fill if they have been stored well. |
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Mid-shoulder
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A "mid-shoulder" fill is not unusual for wines over 50 years old, but it may suggest that the wine has not been stored in optimal conditions. There's a high risk with these wines that they will be undrinkable.
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Low-shoulder
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A "low-shoulder" fill level suggests that the wine has been held in poor storage conditions - and is not normally considered to be drinkable.
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Below-shoulder
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Rarely seen, but indicates the fill has dropped below the shoulder into the main cylindrical section of the bottle. A high chance that the wine is not drinkable. Rarely sold except where the bottling or label is rare.
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Fill Level for Burgundy Bottles
(see picture above)
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The shape of Burgundy bottles does not allow for a level rating system based on the shoulder of the bottle, levels are described by means of inches (or centimeters) below cork. Generally, Burgundy wines with an inch or so (2 to 3 cm) fill level or above are considered normal for wines younger than 10 years of age. Wines of 15 or more years of age with fill levels of between an inch and one half and three inches are generally considered to be of sound provenance, though consideration should be given to the clarity and color of the wine in the bottle, as well as the condition of the cork. Burgundy bottles with fill levels lower than three inches may be at risk of being damaged or undrinkable, and therefore may be unsaleable. It should be noted that some Burgundian producers tend to over-fill their bottles during the bottling process which may cause a few drops of wine to become trapped between the capsule and the cork. |
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< 2 cm
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Considered an excellent fill for any age.
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< 3 cm
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A perfectly normal fill for wines 12 years of age and older. It is an excellent fill level for wines 25 years of age or older.
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< 4 cm
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Considered a normal fill for wines more than 20 years age and excellent for wines more than 35 years. However, it should be cause for concern in wines 15 years and younger.
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< 5 cm
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Not uncommon in older wines of 30 years and more. However, at this level, some oxidation is likely to have occurred and the remaining wine may be fragile at best and undrinkable at worst.
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< 6 cm
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This is a poor fill level for any wine and is unlikely to be available for sale unless extremely rare.
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<x cm> BC
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An alternative way of expressing the number of centimeters below the cork.
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