Definition: fill level

At a fine wine auction, the condition of the wine should always be included in the details provided. This is a valuable indicator of a wine's quality, especially when it comes to vintage wines from older vintages.

Provided that the bottle has been sealed with a top-quality, flawless cork and stored in optimal temperature and humidity conditions, it should have retained a high-fill (HF) level corresponding to the fill level.

After 10 years or more, especially if the cellar temperature is high, if it undergoes frequent variations, and especially if the cork is not flawless, the level drops prematurely, the headspace increases and the oxygen that replaces the liquid oxidises the wine.

For wines over 10 years old, the IN (into-neck) level can still be considered acceptable.

After that, the level changes to BN (base of neck).

For bottles over 20 years old, the TS (top-shoulder) level is acceptable.

The next stage is US (upper shoulder), then MS (mid-shoulder), MLS (mid-low shoulder), and finally LS (low shoulder).

For very old bottles, and from the MLS level onwards, caution is advised.

At the final stage, BLS (below low shoulder), the value of the bottle is greatly reduced, as there is a definite risk of advanced oxidation.