Description of the Fill Level
| HF = High Fill | Normal level, height of young wines, or the level of bottles of older vintages recorked at the château. |
| IN = Into Neck | Perfectly good for any age of wine. Outstanding for a wine of ten years of age or older. |
| BON = Base Of Neck | Good for any age of wine. Perfect for any wine of ten years of age or older. |
| VTS = Very Top Shoulder | Acceptable for any wine over 15 years of age. |
| TS = Top Shoulder | Acceptable for any red Bordeaux 20 years of age. |
| HS = High Shoulder | Slight natural loss through the cork and/or Evaporation through cork and capsule. Acceptable for any wine over 20 years old. Good for any wine over 40 years old. |
| MS = Mid Shoulder | Not unusual for wines over 40 years of age. Most likely some deterioration of the cork and some risk. Auction limits take this into account. |
| LMS = Low-Mid Shoulder | Risk. Auction’s catalogue estimates will be low. |
| LS = Low Shoulder and below | High risk and only accepted for the auction if the bottle or label is exceptionally rare or interesting. Always offered with a low Limit. |
| Burgundy | Due to the fact that Burgundy bottles have a very discrete shoulder, the ullage is measured in centimetres between the cork / capsule and the wine level. Burgundy wines are less affected by ullage than Bordeaux wines. A 5 cm ullage in a 40-year-old Burgundy can be considered acceptable, up to 3 cm excellent for its age. Even losses up to 6 cm for 50 years and older Burgundy are considered acceptable risks. |
| Germany (Schlegelflasche) | The ullage of these bottles, and any other Schlegelflaschen (Alsace, many Italian white wines, Portugal, etc.), are measured in centimetres. The level of ullage for these wines in outstanding condition should not exceed 3 cm. Greater losses carry some risk and are respectively priced. |
| Champagne | Due to the very long foil of Champagne bottles, the ullage is measured in centimetres of the upside down bottles, between the inner edge of the glass bottom and the Champagne level looses up to 2 cm for 20 year old Champagnes are considered acceptable risks. |
