Collecting Q&A: 1939 B&G Sauternes

Peter D. Meltzer
Posted: January 16, 2008

Q: My friend has three bottles of B&G Sauternes that his uncle brought back from the war. His thinks they are from1939. The corks are quite shrunken and maybe even moldy. They were stored in a basement laying down until the past few years or so when leakage was beginning to get serious. They are standing up in my cellar now with Saran Wrap secured by a rubber band over the foil. My friend would like to know how many millions they are worth. I would like to know if I would be poisoned if I tasted any of the bottles. — Greg

A: Sorry, they have no commercial value. I'd give them a try, though. The heightened residual sugar content of a Sauternes acts as a preservative of sorts. Understand however, that B&G Sauternes was a generic as opposed to a château bottling. So don't expect miracles on the palate. And be prepared to spit if you detect a foul taste.

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