February 11, 2024 - English bottling. A bit tired with a hint of Madeira. The only reason why I am posting this note is because of the remarkable concentration and sweet fruit. If this were to cellared properly, this has to be an exceptional wine that should still drink well.
June 26, 2021 - Early 41st Anniversary including ‘61 Cos d’Estournel (George Trois Winnetka, IL): I was so excited to drink and savior this wine for a friends birth year. Did not disappoint. Wow, truly Bordeaux and delicious. All the prior notes describe the wine to a T. Happily, I found one more btl in the cellar. 😎
May 14, 2021 - One of Those Big Birthdays (Margaux's Table, White Bear Lake, MN): Very dark red minus color with a 7mm transitional to clear margin. PNP, drank a glass over 90 minutes. Low shoulder fill with a fully saturated wet cork that released on just turning in the spindle. Like most of these older bottles this needed a few minutes to shake off the cobwebs. Definitely intact right off the bat, but steadily evolving in the glass. This is one of those revelatory wines that certainly demonstartes the durability and ageability of Bordeaux. One might naturally be worried about the the low shoulder fill or the wet cork, but this wine defies the odds and in my experience is not an outlyer. What a great wine, showing its ever changing colors. The nose is filled with saddle leather, earth and a touch of funk to start which slowly builds over 20 minutes into an amazing perfume of pencil lead, tar, soil, dried purple flowers, red currants, red cherry and mulch. The palate still is zinging with tart red fruits on a sleek medium body, cherry, dried forest floor, crushed blackberries, soil and minerals, round medium tannins and a long finish. This was in great shape, and an absolute joy to drink a birth year wine for this milestone bday. I don't think most would pick this out as 60 years old if drank blind - maybe 40, and this has got the stuffing to go for another 20 it would seem. My WOTN in a really, really strong group.
May 14, 2021 - Rocknroller has a special birthday (Margaux's Table): Dried flowers stand out the most. This wine improved over the 2 hours it was in front of me, it was a bit odd and lean initially but it rounded out very well, with tons of complexity underscored by leather and violets.
May 14, 2021 - Kevin's Big Six-OHhhhhhhhh Nooooo (Margaux's Table in White Bear Lake): I guess when you are dealing with wines this old it a crap shoot....aside from storage issues, you still have bottle variation issues also....well, today the wine gods were smiling! This was my first 1961 wine, and I was very pleasantly surprised. This wine had the most complex nose I have encountered. It was perfumed, but notes of black and red fruit, coupled with leather and earth dominated. Later, violets and dried flowers came to the forefront. Unfortunately, this was only a two ounce pour, and once I started tasting the wine, it was gone before I knew it and no time to revisit later in the night to track its evolution. The palate showed a nice mix of fruit and tertiary flavors with notes of cassis and earth dominating, but also showed some bark, tobacco and dark cherry. A pleasure to drink and held up remarkably well for a 60 year old wine! Easy 95+ for me, and my WOTN.
November 14, 2020 - 60s Dinner — 1961 Bordeaux Flight Chateau Lynch Bages, Canon and Cos d’Estournel. Each wine was double decanted for sediment
The Lynch Bages with its dark cherry and cassis fruit all wrapped in cedar, tar and earth notes stood out. It’s fruit benefited from the wines acidity, giving it a freshness that was engaging. Balanced, mature, layered, lovely finish, delicious. Wine of the flight
The Canon was the darkest of the flight. Initial mustiness quickly blew off after 10-15 minutes to reveal plums, violets And earth notes. Fuller bodied than the LB, nice texture and richness. Balanced, resolved, with a lingering finish. Others were surprised how well it drank. I admit to being a Canon fan, had the 1955 and 1982 earlier this year and found this 61 a wonderful contrast to the lighter more elegant Lynch Bages
The Cos had a TS fill, a ruby core with maturing edge. The initial nose showed this bottle had challenges. After 30 minutes still had a mustiness that remained. It’s Palate was cleaner than the nose, medium weight, decent balance and finish.
October 24, 2020 - World Series Mondo Wine Event (Duluth, GA): Tasted blind. This bottle was not flawed, it just wasn't stored in optimal conditions for its 59 years of life. The fruit was gone and it tasted like a tawny port.
March 3, 2020 - I had a 61 night, the lineup- Cos, Ch Margaux, Clinet, La Conseillante. Apart from Cos, a bit too acidic & felt unready, the other 3 were mind blowingly good. Clinet stood up against LC & Margaux. This is the best Margaux I ever had. LC is worth mentioning coz it’s like a matured lady, very elegant, balanced & not an ounce of fat. Awesome night!” more tasting note in finewines.com.sg
January 21, 2020 - 1961 vs 1982 Bordeaux (Boston): Light-medium fruit. Long finish.
January 6, 2019 - med color. tobacco & cedar. old but long finish