December 8, 2023 - 2023 Athens Wine Event; 12/8/2023-12/9/2023 (Athens, Greece): Tasted blind and perplexed our group and frankly most of us thought this was burgundy, lilt La Tache level and this is the testament to the beauty ( we would have never guessed 1973) of this wine. A magical wine for sure.
Well aged, but still full of life, mature fruit but less earthy and more still with a savoury richness in the fruit. Impressive for sure and we can go for a long time here. For us the wine of the night even though we rated others higher than this still it was a magical wine. 96-97
April 1, 2022 - Top shoulder level. Brittle cork but help well and the wine was healthy.
The nose , oh the nose on this wine ( frankly served blind we would have said 80s La Mouline) , smoky, soft spice, leather. So expressive and at this age the highlight of the wine. The palate is soft, tertiary, but also beautiful, touch of a northern Rhône feel here too. What an experience to say the least. 95-100
December 31, 2020 - My WOTN it had a beautiful aromatic nose, u could smell the sweetness. The wine was jammy and candied with enough tannins left to leave a impression but just so elegant and refined at this point. An absolutely perfect bottle thanks to VO. Next to this the 85, 96 where also drinking well but just at different evolution points.
September 8, 2020 - This bottle was bought at auction a few months ago. 1973 is not an acclaimed vintage at all, but the wine level was excellent for a 47 years old bottle (at the exact point where the neck and the shoulder meet).
I opened it at around 1:30 PM and let it slow ox in the opened bottle until dinner time, around five hours later (6:30). The cork did crumble in a thousand pieces, but amazingly we were able to remove the last third of what was remaining of it by very carefully pulling it out with a regular corkscrew (I need a Durand!) and not a single piece of cork fell into the wine.
Slow ox really does wonders with old wines. Upon opening of the bottle, all I could smell was oak and cork and not much of the juice itself. Five hours later, the wine was singing and it kept evolving in my Zalto Bordeaux glass throughout the evening.
The color was appropriate for its age (pale brick and quite transparent on the rim).
On the first nose, what struck us were the spicy notes. Then the remnants of the fruit emerged as a layer of thick raspberry jam. As the night went by, the spices became more precise: vanilla and cinnamon (you know those little cinnamon hearts?). Overall, it smelled like a very "warm" wine. Not much freshness there, but that is totally normal.
Pure velvet on the palate, with 10% left of tannins that kept the wine well alive (with very few sediments in the bottle). Medium-long finish. This could easily pass as an early 80's vintage (not 82 though) since the condition of my bottle was excellent.
With a duck breast (raspberry sauce), buttered french shallots and garlic ratte potatoes, this wine met my expectations.
November 10, 2019 - A resolved array of mixed berries, earthy black truffles and damp tobacco. Fully mature with tamed tannins and gentle nose of maturing fruits. Not a bad effort in a weak vintage. (78/100)
May 19, 2019 - Dining and tasting at our friends Loek and Saskia: A fragile colour with a bit brown, but still lively; the bouquet is fantastic with subtle higher acidity, soft tones of red fruit, sound bitters, leather, some cedar and everything in balance, at the right place and with an aftertaste that continues. This super refined wine is at the age of nearly 46 years and comes from a modest vintage. For its qualities I give this wine (level upper shoulder) 94 points and one point extra for giving such a joy at high age.
January 20, 2018 - this was the one Bordeaux bottle in an all Burg dinner, so had a difficult stance. Still some good energy, I got tea leaf notes and later leather and tobacco.
December 20, 2015 - Cheval Blanc Vertical Tasting (Old Swiss House, Lucerne, Switzerland): Mature garnet in color. Nose shows black licorice, red berries but also hints of sulfur. Overall it is an elegant (light) wine, nice sweetness and good structure and for a 1973 this was a superb wine.
October 17, 2015 - It's reddish-brown and transparent. Residual alcohol exists and gone in two hours. It's very smooth, light (like Burgundy) and sweet with leather, plum, dry leaves, tea. Medium finish with remarkable acidity and very mild red fruits. It delivered consistently and it was still living after 7 hours! Better at nose than on palate. No reason to store any longer. But it'd be an enjoyment to have a wine from such a difficult year and still living and delivering lovely.
August 23, 2015 - Great!!! Can not image how time can change a bottle of Bordeaux wine into Burgundy style. The aroma was unbelievable although the palate was a bit light. Now I am worried when is the appropriate moment for my 2000 cheval blanc, another 40 years later maybe......