How to re-seal an Nebuchadnezzar (15L) of Masseto.
For this procedure you will need;
- A wooden spoon (£1.80)
- Saucepan (£4.99)
- Clingfilm (£1.59)
- Table spoon (85p)
- Approximately half a kilogram of wax (£2.49)
- Toffee hammer (£3.29)
- An Nebuchadnezzar of Ornellaia’s Masseto (£54,700)
- One world renown wine maker (optional)
- An area not too cold, well ventilated and that you don’t mind getting covered in wax, the loading bay of Hedonism Wines will do.
- The first step involves heating the wax gently on an electric stove being careful not to let the wax to get too hot or else it will bubble and create a poor seal around the cork.
- Next, the label is covered with Clingfilm to ensure it doesn’t get any wax on it and the wax already on the bottle is removed by lightly tapping it with the toffee hammer.
- Once your wax is nice and runny with a good consistency, making sure it does not bubble, you are ready. Using the table spoon place a small amount on top of the cork to ensure a good seal…. Now comes the tricky part…..Take the saucepan off the hob and place it at an angle (the toffee hammer may come in handy for this). Very carefully dip the neck of the bottle into the hot wax and remove it slowly. After removing it from the wax in the saucepan gently turn it to ensure the seal is smooth and the wax does not run down the bottle. Once you are happy with the state of the wax bring the bottle upright and gently blow on it to dry the wax. For this step it is imperative that your surroundings are the correct temperature; too hot and the wax will not dry, too cold and it will dry too quickly whilst the wax is still dripping.
- Once you are satisfied with it simply return your Nebuchadnezzar of Masseto back to your cellar/wine dungeon. If you are not pleased with it simply wait for it to dry and start again. Don’t worry even the professionals sometimes need several attempts!
