Over the past few weeks, I have used the Durand, a brilliantly designed device, for extracting the most challenging of corks. I have put it through several difficult tasks, from old magnums to young and old Vintage Ports to a crusty old and potentially crumbly Madeira cork and a slew of other bottles.
I found the Durand easy to use, with the worm perfectly created in terms of the width and length, not to mention the Teflon coating, all of which helps to maximize the potential for raising the cork without ripping through the center, like many corkscrews will do with older, delicate corks. The length of Bordeaux and Port corks is easily handled by the Durand, which is not typically the case with most hand held devices.
I did not have a single cork break or crumble while using this tool and would highly recommend this to any serious wine collector who is looking for a fool-proof device for removing even the most stubborn corks. Old vintage Port corks came out the first time, whole and without crumbling thanks to the double-duty corkscrew and Ah-So features working in tandem making this such a unique and welcome new product.
The only issue I had in using the Durand was when finding a very snug cork, it was difficult to pull both the stabilizer bar and handle simultaneously, at least initially. Otherwise, this is a well-crafted and extremely solid product that will delight those who know the drudgery from having waged battle while removing the most obstinate or ancient corks.
Roy Hersh
Founder
www.fortheloveofport.com