High shoulder. The nose took about an hour to really show much. Metallic notes, earth, iron, and touch of tobacco. Smooth and well balanced on the pallet. Sole iodine. Sweetness of fruit lasted for about three hours. Very pleasant. Perhaps not the best bottle, but still enjoyable.
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High shoulder fill with a soft, loose cork. Classic very old claret nose; mouldering green bell peppers, minty, dry tobacco, very little fruit, quite lean. Certainly has some cellar aromas and some are calling it corked but I don't get TCA. Increasingly cedary with andes mints as it sits. It doesn't have much sweetness and has a bitter finish but with fried meatballs this is lovely. Not everyone's style and maybe not a perfect bottle but I really really like this!
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What color this wine has, showing a ruby fire at the edge. The nose was downright floral on top of fruit and pencil lead, and the palate was pure elegance. This wine was soft, gentle, and easy in texture and mouthfeel. It hits with flavors of violets, juniper berries, and gravel. Next to the '59 Lynch Bages we served along with this, the Brane Cantenac has more length, deeper earthiness, and greater elegance. The standout characteristic was elegance, but there was a remarkable stone, river rock element. The Lynch had more impactful fruit, but this had the length and elegance. Do not snooze on Brane Cantenac.
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Mid/lower shoulder bottle that was not held under the most pristine conditions, but these can be wines worth ith gambling on if the price is right.
Nice red cherry, blackberry and spice notes. Elegant texture, but lacking the nuanced depth of the best bottles. I look forward to higher quality bottles and will keep buying these as they come up. Top bottles can be a revelation.
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The worst of the four bottles. Nice hue; more like a wine from the early 80s. Slightly oxidative note because of that but still noticeable fruit remnant. Lively nose with tobacco, spices and gravelly notes. The texture is what really confirms the great vintage: very ripe tannins, velvety texture, supporting in a very discreet way. Good length and intensity. The finish just keeps on going; on the earthy, friuty and spicy notes. I would call this quintessential Margaux.
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A sparkling garnet core with red brick edges and a rust finish, the look had me convinced this was a well stored bottle. Cedar, tobacco, and dark red fruit on the nose, with more of the same on the palate, plus plum, mushroom, and graphite. The wine is resolved, soft, yet not weak, and is mainly propped up remaining dark fruit and the pencilly gravel, which presents over the forest and library notes. At a great old spot, and not likely to improve, I’d guess.
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Very pale color with a light orange/amber tint had me worried, but it smelled promising right away, didn't even need any time to stretch its legs. Deep, punchy aromatics of cigar smoke, candied orange peel, and freshly turned garden soil lead to more of the same on the palate, with the tannins entirely melted away, leaving a slick, glossy texture. This bottle has been in the USA since release, so very unlikely to have seen ideal storage in its early years, though the Chicago import tags suggest maybe the passive storage conditions weren't the worst in the world. Anyway, this has plenty of personality and it's obviously fully integrated, though a more pristinely stored bottle might have a bit more freshness and gas in the tank.
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More than fully mature, with the color of bricks and rose hip tea, medium-bodied wine is elegant, soft, energetic, refined and silky. The red fruits still offer freshness, sweetness and lift, coupled with cedar, tobacco, spice and forest leafy notes. I imagine this sells at reasonable levels at auctions, so it is probably worth taking a chance on this, if you see any.
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It is still possible to pick up mature Claret from great vintages at auction at an affordable price if you are prepared to take a risk on the level. This was mid shoulder. Firm cork came out whole. Slow oxygenated for 6 hours. A little musty on opening but there was fruit there. I decanted as it was a little thin on tasting and it opened up nicely over an hour with Christmas dinner. Browning. Faded nose of rosehip syrup but harmonious and clean. Subtle charm, delicate red fruits, compote, rounded delicate fruit. This would never have been a big wine and is clearly past it's best but is charming nonetheless. Delicate old claret and a real pleasure.
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61 Bordeaux in perfect condition is always a treat. A burgundian style with gingerbread, roses, and tea. Taste is harmonious, decadent, with a moderate finish. Typical claret. A bargain. If you can find it, buy it. Drink now.
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Beautiful wine with a well traveled past. Sentimental favorite as I am prone to loving my birth year wines and I was able to drink this with my twin brother and we both loved it. Still in a great place with multitudes of complexity and a regal stature of maturity. Had it standing up in cellar for 2 years waiting to drink it and it was in prime condition.
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Incredible Steaks & The Immaculate Cellar (Tampa, FL): Nose: a perfumed melange of blackberry, blueberry, violets and smoke. Palate: Elegant and suave, all silk across the palate. Sweet cherry fruit, sexy tobacco notes and tons of florals. Layered and nuanced, hitting various combinations of these flavor profiles. Finish: Penetrating with Cherry, Tobacco and White Flowers. Unreal on the finish.
Take 83 Palmer, advance it a few decades and make the palate catch up to the nose. This had all of that and more. High neck fill on a 61 from 375 ... nope this does not happen every day, but god is it good!
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Enjoyed with friends on our last night in Atlanta before moving to Mexico.
Decided not to decant given the age and expected fragility of the wine. Start out a little stinky, but after about an hour in bottle, the wine began to open up beautifully. This wine is rocking.
Very floral nose with surprising amounts of red fruit (wild strawberry), kirsch, and good acidity. Quite lush on the palate compared to what I would expected given the age and style. Coloring was still ruby red with good clarity, though fading around the rim. Great wine.
Bottle was consumed by the 2.5 hour mark and was starting to shut down.
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Tasted non blind. Opened and decanted for sediment right before serving. Followed over about 90 minutes to two hours.
Beautiful garnet color in the glass with vibrant coloring and no signs of bricking. Stunning nose of cedar, mixed florals, berries and cherries. Solid flavors of red berries, red cherries and light notes of cranberry on the medium to long finish. Bright acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. With impeccable provenance like this bottle you can drink or hold.
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Deliciously complex and nicely integrated. Very delicate with notes of cedar and oak. Palate is open and it tasted bested right after decanting. It faded quickly in the decanter.
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9/07 Drank 3 bottles in the past year with same notes - earthen nose - tawny color - balanced fruit with solid long-lasting structured oak finish. 94pts
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This looks fully mature. Initially there are some sandalwood notes on the nose, then some high tones. The palate is open, and nice and clean with some acidity lending a freshness, but nowhere near that of the Giscours. It’s a tiny bit dried out, but there is still some good black fruit in there on the palate. Returning to this later, it was becoming very secondary and faded on both the nose and the palate.
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4/6/2024 - johnh1001 wrote: 92 Points
High shoulder. The nose took about an hour to really show much. Metallic notes, earth, iron, and touch of tobacco. Smooth and well balanced on the pallet. Sole iodine. Sweetness of fruit lasted for about three hours. Very pleasant. Perhaps not the best bottle, but still enjoyable.
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2/9/2024 - cperdman Likes this wine: 93 Points
Opened up after 30/40 min, peaked at about 65. Still firm.
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12/20/2021 - andtheodor wrote: 92 Points
High shoulder fill with a soft, loose cork. Classic very old claret nose; mouldering green bell peppers, minty, dry tobacco, very little fruit, quite lean. Certainly has some cellar aromas and some are calling it corked but I don't get TCA. Increasingly cedary with andes mints as it sits. It doesn't have much sweetness and has a bitter finish but with fried meatballs this is lovely. Not everyone's style and maybe not a perfect bottle but I really really like this!
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9/24/2021 - misterstarre wrote: 96 Points
What color this wine has, showing a ruby fire at the edge. The nose was downright floral on top of fruit and pencil lead, and the palate was pure elegance. This wine was soft, gentle, and easy in texture and mouthfeel. It hits with flavors of violets, juniper berries, and gravel. Next to the '59 Lynch Bages we served along with this, the Brane Cantenac has more length, deeper earthiness, and greater elegance. The standout characteristic was elegance, but there was a remarkable stone, river rock element. The Lynch had more impactful fruit, but this had the length and elegance. Do not snooze on Brane Cantenac.
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9/18/2021 - RockinCabs wrote: 92 Points
Mid/lower shoulder bottle that was not held under the most pristine conditions, but these can be wines worth ith gambling on if the price is right.
Nice red cherry, blackberry and spice notes. Elegant texture, but lacking the nuanced depth of the best bottles. I look forward to higher quality bottles and will keep buying these as they come up. Top bottles can be a revelation.
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7/12/2021 - vagrantone Likes this wine: 92 Points
The worst of the four bottles.
Nice hue; more like a wine from the early 80s.
Slightly oxidative note because of that but still noticeable fruit remnant.
Lively nose with tobacco, spices and gravelly notes.
The texture is what really confirms the great vintage: very ripe tannins, velvety texture, supporting in a very discreet way.
Good length and intensity. The finish just keeps on going; on the earthy, friuty and spicy notes.
I would call this quintessential Margaux.
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12/23/2019 - misterstarre Likes this wine: 94 Points
A sparkling garnet core with red brick edges and a rust finish, the look had me convinced this was a well stored bottle. Cedar, tobacco, and dark red fruit on the nose, with more of the same on the palate, plus plum, mushroom, and graphite. The wine is resolved, soft, yet not weak, and is mainly propped up remaining dark fruit and the pencilly gravel, which presents over the forest and library notes. At a great old spot, and not likely to improve, I’d guess.
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7/13/2019 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 94 Points
Very pale color with a light orange/amber tint had me worried, but it smelled promising right away, didn't even need any time to stretch its legs. Deep, punchy aromatics of cigar smoke, candied orange peel, and freshly turned garden soil lead to more of the same on the palate, with the tannins entirely melted away, leaving a slick, glossy texture. This bottle has been in the USA since release, so very unlikely to have seen ideal storage in its early years, though the Chicago import tags suggest maybe the passive storage conditions weren't the worst in the world. Anyway, this has plenty of personality and it's obviously fully integrated, though a more pristinely stored bottle might have a bit more freshness and gas in the tank.
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12/1/2018 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
More than fully mature, with the color of bricks and rose hip tea, medium-bodied wine is elegant, soft, energetic, refined and silky. The red fruits still offer freshness, sweetness and lift, coupled with cedar, tobacco, spice and forest leafy notes. I imagine this sells at reasonable levels at auctions, so it is probably worth taking a chance on this, if you see any.
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12/25/2016 - kevin h wrote: 91 Points
It is still possible to pick up mature Claret from great vintages at auction at an affordable price if you are prepared to take a risk on the level. This was mid shoulder. Firm cork came out whole. Slow oxygenated for 6 hours. A little musty on opening but there was fruit there. I decanted as it was a little thin on tasting and it opened up nicely over an hour with Christmas dinner. Browning. Faded nose of rosehip syrup but harmonious and clean. Subtle charm, delicate red fruits, compote, rounded delicate fruit. This would never have been a big wine and is clearly past it's best but is charming nonetheless. Delicate old claret and a real pleasure.
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11/19/2016 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 90 Points
A pretty wine with sweet spice, cola and red floral notes on the nose. Bittersweet red fruit on the palate with a floral finish. 90-91
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4/5/2016 - giba ochman Likes this wine: 95 Points
61 Bordeaux in perfect condition is always a treat. A burgundian style with gingerbread, roses, and tea. Taste is harmonious, decadent, with a moderate finish. Typical claret. A bargain. If you can find it, buy it. Drink now.
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3/6/2016 - d'Auvenay Likes this wine: 93 Points
First time trying a aged Brane-Cantenac. Surprised by the quality.
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10/19/2015 - ciaovito Likes this wine: 94 Points
Beautiful wine with a well traveled past. Sentimental favorite as I am prone to loving my birth year wines and I was able to drink this with my twin brother and we both loved it. Still in a great place with multitudes of complexity and a regal stature of maturity. Had it standing up in cellar for 2 years waiting to drink it and it was in prime condition.
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4/26/2015 - RockinCabs wrote: 97 Points
Incredible Steaks & The Immaculate Cellar (Tampa, FL): Nose: a perfumed melange of blackberry, blueberry, violets and smoke. Palate: Elegant and suave, all silk across the palate. Sweet cherry fruit, sexy tobacco notes and tons of florals. Layered and nuanced, hitting various combinations of these flavor profiles. Finish: Penetrating with Cherry, Tobacco and White Flowers. Unreal on the finish.
Take 83 Palmer, advance it a few decades and make the palate catch up to the nose. This had all of that and more. High neck fill on a 61 from 375 ... nope this does not happen every day, but god is it good!
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5/17/2014 - Spl232 Likes this wine: 94 Points
Enjoyed with friends on our last night in Atlanta before moving to Mexico.
Decided not to decant given the age and expected fragility of the wine. Start out a little stinky, but after about an hour in bottle, the wine began to open up beautifully. This wine is rocking.
Very floral nose with surprising amounts of red fruit (wild strawberry), kirsch, and good acidity. Quite lush on the palate compared to what I would expected given the age and style. Coloring was still ruby red with good clarity, though fading around the rim. Great wine.
Bottle was consumed by the 2.5 hour mark and was starting to shut down.
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7/29/2013 - chiliman96 wrote: 88 Points
not much fruit left
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1/31/2011 - wineismylife Likes this wine: 95 Points
Happy Birthday Wines! (Bern's Steakhouse, Tampa, FL): WIML95+
Tasted non blind. Opened and decanted for sediment right before serving. Followed over about 90 minutes to two hours.
Beautiful garnet color in the glass with vibrant coloring and no signs of bricking. Stunning nose of cedar, mixed florals, berries and cherries. Solid flavors of red berries, red cherries and light notes of cranberry on the medium to long finish. Bright acidity, medium tannins, medium to full bodied. With impeccable provenance like this bottle you can drink or hold.
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7/18/2009 - plitton wrote:
from a 375ml. OTH
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3/29/2008 - plitton wrote: 92 Points
Deliciously complex and nicely integrated. Very delicate with notes of cedar and oak. Palate is open and it tasted bested right after decanting. It faded quickly in the decanter.
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9/28/2007 - peternelson wrote: 88 Points
Chronicle: Soft frt, almost old strawberry; lite choc, soft plush, med. bod; long fin., merlot like, hint metalic. Very nice and smooth!!!!
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9/8/2007 - GA wrote: 94 Points
9/07 Drank 3 bottles in the past year with same notes - earthen nose - tawny color - balanced fruit with solid long-lasting structured oak finish. 94pts
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6/1/2007 - andrewstevenson.com wrote: 85 Points
This looks fully mature. Initially there are some sandalwood notes on the nose, then some high tones. The palate is open, and nice and clean with some acidity lending a freshness, but nowhere near that of the Giscours. It’s a tiny bit dried out, but there is still some good black fruit in there on the palate.
Returning to this later, it was becoming very secondary and faded on both the nose and the palate.
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