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This is a first for me, but I'm a relative newbie when it comes to properly cellared ports - I opened a bottle of Warre Cavadinha 2001 ahead of a tasting with a few friends tonight and found white mould under the cap. I dealt with it by disinfecting it, thoroughly rinsing the area and then immediately removing the cork. There didn't appear to be any issue below the surface of the cork and the wine tastes great so I'm assuming this is not an issue but wanted to see if others have similar issues and get any thoughts.

I've seen it often enough (saw it just yesterday, when opening a Fonseca Panascal 2004). It's not really an issue, as long as the mould doesn't extend to the *inside* of the cork.

It's a good idea to clean it, though, as, when pouring, the wine might come into contact with mould that might be present on the edges of the bottle.

MigSU wrote:I've seen it often enough (saw it just yesterday, when opening a Fonseca Panascal 2004). It's not really an issue, as long as the mould doesn't extend to the *inside* of the cork.

It's a good idea to clean it, though, as, when pouring, the wine might come into contact with mould that might be present on the edges of the bottle.

Yes, those were my two concerns, fortunately the cork seemed normal once I had cleaned it.

I believe cellar mould is a form of penicillin and is essentially the same mould as you find on the skin of a white rinded soft cheese (like Camembert or Brie). It’s harmless and can be seen in some well reputed cellars to a spectacular degree.

I don’t worry about cellar mould on my bottles or corks, but I do clean it off before opening the bottle.

Alex Bridgeman wrote:I believe cellar mould is a form of penicillin and is essentially the same mould as you find on the skin of a white rinded soft cheese (like Camembert or Brie). It’s harmless and can be seen in some well reputed cellars to a spectacular degree.

I don’t worry about cellar mould on my bottles or corks, but I do clean it off before opening the bottle.

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Ok, that's good to know! I'm glad to hear it's not likely to be something too toxic.

Nothing to worry about. Just wipe off with a wet towel or cloth. You may need to wipe away any remaining bits on the very top of the bottle once the cork is removed.

Then enjoy knowing it’s a very well stored bottle!