Tasted double blind from a small capped bottle as part of a zoom tasting. Mature and nutty. Very coarse on the nose - wood and disjointed. A bit of varnish. More marzipan. More nuttiness. Big and volatile. spicy and woody. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 4/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 14/20.
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At Tan Dinh, Paris - proposed by owner Roger Vifian to substitute a Latour a Pomerol of the same vintage which could not be located in the cellar. Wet cork fell into the bottle but first smell confirmed wine was otherwise sound. Expressive telltale nose of older right Bank leaning Pomerol with truffle and mushroom. Classic St Emilion scent of wild berries, bramble and undergrowth in the background. The palate cannot quite live up to the nose but is still holding up well with a nice acid zing. This is a wine in its twilight in 75cl format and with less life ahead than the '70 and '82.
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From a bottle with in near perfect condition with fill to the base of the neck & no cork issues. (Note from memory, from a few days ago) Considerable depth of garnet colour, more ruby than tawny. Aromas: a persisting impression of red and black berry fruit, cooked red plum, leather bound old books, cured tobacco, hung game, truffle, forest floor, honeycomb. On the pallet this was evidently still in fine fettle and came across as if anything younger than the aromas suggested, with plenty of fruit in a lovely balance with the more meaty, savoury aged notes. Great mouthfeel, with velvet like resolved tannins, remarkably refreshing acidity, and a long finish full of interest and nuance. . My drinking companion commented that it reminded her of a mature, but much younger grand Burgundy, along with a 'Who needs DRC'. A great, hugely enjoyable and completely satisfying bottle with years left to go !
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This wine is a birth year vintage and was served at a wine dinner with family the night prior to my birthday. The wine had excellent provenance and was sourced on the secondary market from Lopa. The fill was very top shoulder.
The wine was stored in my Le Cache and was moved from horizontal racking to a display cradle 5 days prior to opening. On day 5 the bottle was removed from the Le Cache and placed into a wine cradle. The foil was removed and there were no visible signs of wine seepage based on the presence of the foil or the exterior of the bottle. The cork was extracted using a Durand. However, the cork was hard with what appeared to be slightly dried wine on the outside that was visible prior to pulling the cork. Inside the bottle, the cork was wine soaked and soft. The cork broke on extraction, leaving approximately 1/4 of the bottom in the bottle. I was able to successfully remove the remaining cork with the Durand and it helped that the wine was in the cradle, as I was able to see the remaining cork that stayed in the middle neck of the bottle. Based on the condition of the cork, I thought the bottle was going to be flawed but I was very pleasantly surprised at how well this wine showed on this night!
The wine was Double Decanted (DD) and immediately returned into a previously cleaned wine bottle with a fresh cork returned to the bottle. It was transported to a restaurant where it remained under cork for the next 90 minutes until it was paired with Cheese: Goat/ Old Chatam Creamery Cheve Cow/Grass Fed Camembert Sheep/Caved Aged Blue Cheese, Fruit, Preservers, and Crackers. The wine was consumed out of a Grassl Liberte stem.
The wine color was burgundy with slight bricking at the edges. It had a beautiful bouquet of dried flowers, leather, salinity and brown spices. The palate was primarily secondary and tertiary flavors but there was surprisingly still some red and dark fruit tones present, specifically red and black cherries. The wine had good texture and was well integrated with slight tannins and a pleasant streak of acidity. The body was medium and the wine was fully mature.
For a 47 year-old wine, this bottle exceeded my expectations and I'm glad I have a few more bottles to enjoy over the next handful of years!
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Unsurprisingly showing full tertiary characteristics and fully mature, this still has an unexpected robustness. I understand from other reviews that this is common to 1975 as a whole. That said, it is beautifully integrated with a silky mouthfeel, and a lengthy finish. 94+
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Top shoulder. Cork came out reasonably. In the glass light brick colour. Magnificent nose of forest floor, cigare and leather. Overall elegantly styled, with striking freshness and a great finish. Matched wonderfully with our Chili von carne, but also standalone superb.
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good deepish red color with some bricking, plummy on the nose, very slightly hard- but less so than most 75s I have tried, some sauvage, on the palate quite good and surprisingly youthful in tone despite the full tertiary development of its elements, large scale, fresh, blackberry notes, a broad and ripe pure finish of excellent length, some of the rough and tumble of the vintage sprinkled throughout, but refined in the end and comfortingly vibrant. A great and relatively understated 1975.
*****, now to 2040
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Austere, with slightly rustic tannins, the wine is on the very bright, red berry side, with nuances of herbs, wet earth and spice. Medium bodied, with sharp, red fruits in the finish, this is an old school classic.
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What a beauty - a heady mix of charm, grace, and supple Merlot richness. I wouldn't say this of most 75s, but I think this must be at its absolute apogee now. Raspberry, plum, caramel, wildflowers, chocolate, old oak. Terrific. Base neck bottle recently brought over from St. Emilion.
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Quite nice, middle weight, traditional Bordeaux. Nose was prettier (earthy, touch of blood) than the palate. Still quite fresh with good acidity. Decant for about 20-30 minutes and drink up.
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The 1975 Chateau Magdelaine was perfectly mature, leading off with dried flowers, leather, spiced dried orange and dusty soil tones. It gained sweetness in the glass over time. On the palate, I found soft, vibrant textures, driven by brisk acidity, with dried cherry and hints of citrus. It never became tiring or drying, and finished long on perfectly matured red fruits and inner floral tones. Simply in a beautiful place tonight.
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Drank over lunch at Le Diplomate in WDC. Had high hopes for this classic producer but the bottle didn't meet expectations. I'm sure immaculately stored bottles may fare better, but this ts fill bottle was on the decline. Not doa but failed to impress. Fruit had faded and was slightly oxidised. Alas
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I enjoyed this wine more than most at the table and would be happy to drink it again. Mature, red fruits with tobacco and spice and good minerality all would into a well balanced package
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Decanted 2 bottles. Top shoulder fill on both. Instantly drinkable, likeable. What little funk there was quickly disappeared. No appreciable tannins, great fruit. Remarkable 38 yr old wine.
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Complex nose with young dark red fruits and kirsch, earth, minerals, iron and anise tones. Classic Bordeaux but tannins are drying in the finish. Comes across as mid 1980-s. Drink now.
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Chateau Magdelaine with Edouard Moueix (Institute of Directors, Pall Mall, London): Very sweet caramelly nose. Complex with red fruit and a slight (attractive) bitter, tannic, note. Open, mature and apporachable, perfumed with sweet caramelly fruit but also that welcome slight bitter edge. Lovely sweet fruit, fresh acidity, lingering harmonious finish. Really like this.
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10/26/2023 - Seth Rosenberg wrote: 88 Points
Tasted double blind from a small capped bottle as part of a zoom tasting. Mature and nutty. Very coarse on the nose - wood and disjointed. A bit of varnish. More marzipan. More nuttiness. Big and volatile. spicy and woody. Nose - 5/6, Palate - 4/6, Finish - 4/6, Je ne Sais Quoi - 1/2 = 14/20.
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9/12/2023 - palfr2 wrote:
At Tan Dinh, Paris - proposed by owner Roger Vifian to substitute a Latour a Pomerol of the same vintage which could not be located in the cellar. Wet cork fell into the bottle but first smell confirmed wine was otherwise sound. Expressive telltale nose of older right Bank leaning Pomerol with truffle and mushroom. Classic St Emilion scent of wild berries, bramble and undergrowth in the background. The palate cannot quite live up to the nose but is still holding up well with a nice acid zing. This is a wine in its twilight in 75cl format and with less life ahead than the '70 and '82.
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8/29/2023 - Guillaume-en-égypte Likes this wine: 94 Points
From a bottle with in near perfect condition with fill to the base of the neck & no cork issues. (Note from memory, from a few days ago) Considerable depth of garnet colour, more ruby than tawny. Aromas: a persisting impression of red and black berry fruit, cooked red plum, leather bound old books, cured tobacco, hung game, truffle, forest floor, honeycomb. On the pallet this was evidently still in fine fettle and came across as if anything younger than the aromas suggested, with plenty of fruit in a lovely balance with the more meaty, savoury aged notes. Great mouthfeel, with velvet like resolved tannins, remarkably refreshing acidity, and a long finish full of interest and nuance. . My drinking companion commented that it reminded her of a mature, but much younger grand Burgundy, along with a 'Who needs DRC'. A great, hugely enjoyable and completely satisfying bottle with years left to go !
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4/14/2023 - acyso wrote: flawed
St. Emilion night (Chicago, IL): Corked.
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8/25/2022 - JustBreathe680 Likes this wine: 94 Points
This wine is a birth year vintage and was served at a wine dinner with family the night prior to my birthday. The wine had excellent provenance and was sourced on the secondary market from Lopa. The fill was very top shoulder.
The wine was stored in my Le Cache and was moved from horizontal racking to a display cradle 5 days prior to opening. On day 5 the bottle was removed from the Le Cache and placed into a wine cradle. The foil was removed and there were no visible signs of wine seepage based on the presence of the foil or the exterior of the bottle. The cork was extracted using a Durand. However, the cork was hard with what appeared to be slightly dried wine on the outside that was visible prior to pulling the cork. Inside the bottle, the cork was wine soaked and soft. The cork broke on extraction, leaving approximately 1/4 of the bottom in the bottle. I was able to successfully remove the remaining cork with the Durand and it helped that the wine was in the cradle, as I was able to see the remaining cork that stayed in the middle neck of the bottle. Based on the condition of the cork, I thought the bottle was going to be flawed but I was very pleasantly surprised at how well this wine showed on this night!
The wine was Double Decanted (DD) and immediately returned into a previously cleaned wine bottle with a fresh cork returned to the bottle. It was transported to a restaurant where it remained under cork for the next 90 minutes until it was paired with Cheese: Goat/ Old Chatam Creamery Cheve Cow/Grass Fed Camembert Sheep/Caved Aged Blue Cheese, Fruit, Preservers, and Crackers. The wine was consumed out of a Grassl Liberte stem.
The wine color was burgundy with slight bricking at the edges. It had a beautiful bouquet of dried flowers, leather, salinity and brown spices. The palate was primarily secondary and tertiary flavors but there was surprisingly still some red and dark fruit tones present, specifically red and black cherries. The wine had good texture and was well integrated with slight tannins and a pleasant streak of acidity. The body was medium and the wine was fully mature.
For a 47 year-old wine, this bottle exceeded my expectations and I'm glad I have a few more bottles to enjoy over the next handful of years!
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9/10/2021 - djhammond Likes this wine: 94 Points
Unsurprisingly showing full tertiary characteristics and fully mature, this still has an unexpected robustness. I understand from other reviews that this is common to 1975 as a whole. That said, it is beautifully integrated with a silky mouthfeel, and a lengthy finish. 94+
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6/25/2021 - vinero wrote: flawed
Corked
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6/29/2020 - vinero Likes this wine: 93 Points
Top shoulder. Cork came out reasonably. In the glass light brick colour. Magnificent nose of forest floor, cigare and leather. Overall elegantly styled, with striking freshness and a great finish. Matched wonderfully with our Chili von carne, but also standalone superb.
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9/20/2019 - tinybubbles wrote: 89 Points
Varying degrees of vitality to bottles of this wine at this point. This one was intact but certainly fading. 89-
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8/9/2019 - tinybubbles wrote: 90 Points
Red fruit and smoke notes on this bottle, but neither significant complexity nor energy.
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5/2/2019 - Elpaninaro Likes this wine:
good deepish red color with some bricking, plummy on the nose, very slightly hard- but less so than most 75s I have tried, some sauvage, on the palate quite good and surprisingly youthful in tone despite the full tertiary development of its elements, large scale, fresh, blackberry notes, a broad and ripe pure finish of excellent length, some of the rough and tumble of the vintage sprinkled throughout, but refined in the end and comfortingly vibrant. A great and relatively understated 1975.
*****, now to 2040
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11/22/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
Austere, with slightly rustic tannins, the wine is on the very bright, red berry side, with nuances of herbs, wet earth and spice. Medium bodied, with sharp, red fruits in the finish, this is an old school classic.
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11/17/2018 - englishman's claret wrote: 94 Points
What a beauty - a heady mix of charm, grace, and supple Merlot richness. I wouldn't say this of most 75s, but I think this must be at its absolute apogee now. Raspberry, plum, caramel, wildflowers, chocolate, old oak. Terrific. Base neck bottle recently brought over from St. Emilion.
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11/15/2017 - LW31 Likes this wine:
Quite nice, middle weight, traditional Bordeaux. Nose was prettier (earthy, touch of blood) than the palate. Still quite fresh with good acidity. Decant for about 20-30 minutes and drink up.
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4/28/2017 - Eric Guido Likes this wine: 94 Points
The 1975 Chateau Magdelaine was perfectly mature, leading off with dried flowers, leather, spiced dried orange and dusty soil tones. It gained sweetness in the glass over time. On the palate, I found soft, vibrant textures, driven by brisk acidity, with dried cherry and hints of citrus. It never became tiring or drying, and finished long on perfectly matured red fruits and inner floral tones. Simply in a beautiful place tonight.
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10/13/2015 - Vintage82 wrote:
Drank over lunch at Le Diplomate in WDC. Had high hopes for this classic producer but the bottle didn't meet expectations. I'm sure immaculately stored bottles may fare better, but this ts fill bottle was on the decline. Not doa but failed to impress. Fruit had faded and was slightly oxidised. Alas
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7/27/2015 - alamoave wrote: flawed
Unfortunately over the hill. Still drinkable but fruit is gone.
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3/1/2015 - ricknat1 wrote: 91 Points
I enjoyed this wine more than most at the table and would be happy to drink it again. Mature, red fruits with tobacco and spice and good minerality all would into a well balanced package
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5/12/2013 - lee.reiswig Likes this wine: 90 Points
Decanted 2 bottles. Top shoulder fill on both. Instantly drinkable, likeable. What little funk there was quickly disappeared. No appreciable tannins, great fruit. Remarkable 38 yr old wine.
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11/4/2011 - Ary wrote: 88 Points
Complex nose with young dark red fruits and kirsch, earth, minerals, iron and anise tones. Classic Bordeaux but tannins are drying in the finish. Comes across as mid 1980-s. Drink now.
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8/10/2011 - lee.reiswig wrote: 90 Points
Remarkable. Good fruit, still somewhat tannic.
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8/5/2011 - alamoave wrote: 90 Points
Holding up very well. Balanced fruit, tannins, smooth finish. Not in danger of fading away for a few years.
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2/3/2009 - Paul D wrote:
Chateau Magdelaine with Edouard Moueix (Institute of Directors, Pall Mall, London): Very sweet caramelly nose. Complex with red fruit and a slight (attractive) bitter, tannic, note. Open, mature and apporachable, perfumed with sweet caramelly fruit but also that welcome slight bitter edge. Lovely sweet fruit, fresh acidity, lingering harmonious finish. Really like this.
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10/20/2006 - jhuff01 wrote: 92 Points
smooth...no tannins...very nice, refined bottle...low fruit taste on the palate
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