Forgotten Father-in-law Cellar: Hot or Not?

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Forgotten Father-in-law Cellar: Hot or Not? - 5/12/2008 11:19:48 PM

ParkHill

Posts: 167
Joined: 6/27/2007
From: Denver, CO
Status: offline

We all dream about stumbling on a bunch of old, forgotten (well-stored) wines. The movie "A Good Year" was a story about discovering a special vineyard. (The book was pretty bad, but the movie was fun).

Anyway. My father-and-law doesn't drink much, and offered me six or seven boxes of old liquor. Mostly real trash, like Baileys Cream that had gotten so sludgy it wouldn't pour. Still, one could always hope for a few things of interest.

To dispense with truly great finds: He had some of his fathers' hooch from the 40s and earlier. The 1942 blackberry brandy was pretty cool, but I wouldn't personally taste it... or even open it. There was one, unopened bottle of Prohibition era whiskey; must be from the 1930s, and I'm sure the local historical society would love the donation for a benefit auction.

Then there was the god-awful, grotesque, but somehow intriguing bottle of Peruvian Pisco liquor from some vacation in the 60s. I'll save it for the bottle alone. A tacky-but-sixties-esque souvenir wiskey with a tiny wind-up dancing scotsman in the base of the bottle.

As for the wine, we had a few old, bad airline bottles. And the following oddities:
1972 Barton & Guestier Médoc
1974 Barton & Guestier St. Estèphe Pontet-LaTour
1969 Cordier Chateau Gruaud Larose (8x 375ml)
1975 Verdillac
1974 Rioja Cune Clarete
NV Paarl Roodeberg (probably 1970s)
NV Paarl Cabernet (probably 1970s)

Now, my in-laws are well-off, but not at all into the finer things, so I wouldn't expect any treasures, unless a business colleague gave them something outrageous. Worse, the storage was less-than-optimal. Basement, but who knows how many moves or shake-ups or vertical and dried out corks.

Anyway. I already tried one of the 1969 Gruaud Larose, and it was pretty awful. Lost 90% of the flavor, keeping only some color and bitterness. I have some hope for the Rioja. And, a total question-mark about the South African wines.

Anybody have anyclue on the other wines?

Here's a fun article I found when I searched on Paarl Roodeberg. Damn the double aa's and double oo's.

< Message edited by ParkHill -- 5/12/2008 11:36:25 PM >

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RE: Forgotten Father-in-law Cellar: Hot or Not? - 5/13/2008 4:57:08 AM

cgrimes

Posts: 1571
Joined: 10/8/2007
From: Massachusetts
Status: offline

Out of all of those wines the Gruaud Larose would seem to me to have the most longevity--so not much hope for the others. Have fun with them. You might want to wash them down with the Prohibition whiskey, though.