Wine is a living, changing thing. He has been at the Lisbon Ave. location since 1961. A quick stroll through the neat rows of boxes and crates turned up a 1938 Chateau Latour, a 1950 Chateau Talbot, a 1967 Chateau d'Yquem and a 1969 Clos St. Denis. The oldest wine he ever tasted was a 1898 Mouton Rothschild. Although the cork was disintegrated, when the wine was poured it was clear and still retained some of its original fruit quality.
Older wines can rapidly turn sour once they are exposed to oxygen.
Heiden advised that the first thing to consider when planning a cellar is whether you have a suitable storage area. What is essential is that the area maintains a cool temperature year-round. Wine kept under warm conditions matures too rapidly. Freshness and fruitiness are lost. The next question is what to put in your cellar.