Rounder on the nose vs the ’66, open and mature core, leafy elements, cracked leather and an almost corky waft… touch drier than ’66 to me.
Filigree sweetness on the attack, more leaf (and cardboard), and I think more delicate than the ’66. My colleagues preferred 61 vs 66 but here maybe because there was so little left, it had deteriorated?
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A certain homage must be paid to any bottle of '61 Bordeaux. Dirty original cork and a mid shoulder fill caused some worry. Funky nose upon opening. Decanted for an hour and half. This released the still abundant fruit. Glorious nose.. Well balanced with good acidity and fully resolved tannin. I suspect that this was once better, but I love old Bordeaux. This wine has aged better than I have.
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On the stoic and stern side of the style range. The wine is focused on its cigar, tobacco, cedar side with firm tannins and a tart edge to the red fruits. Some bottles are clearly better than others. It is all about the storage at this age. The bottle looked good... But it is what it is.
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61s at 61 (Bourbon Steak, Aventura, Florida): The brawny aroma in the empty glass was actually the best part of the tasting experience since for the most part this bottle despite a good appearance was much too old. There’s a vestige of that GPL burly black fruit and Pauillac dirt but no where near enough. You can drink it for the experience if you want to but you probably don’t.
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Brad's Belated Big 6-0 Birthday Celebration (Brad & Marcia's Place, St. Paul, MN): Dark red color with a 3mm transitional margin. Splash double decanted and vacuumed. Drank a glass over an hour. This was another real treat and the fourth time I have the privilege to drink this beautiful wine. With the exception of one bottle that was simply ok, all the rest have been utterly profound. Beautiful, blissful pencil, cigar ash, red fruits, deep red berries, cured meats, funk, leather integrated tannins. This has a medium plus weight, great length and grace and you would certainly never peg it for 60 years old. Thanks to Steve for again sharing this gem. 97+ to 98pts.
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This is the 3rd one of these I've been fortunate to drink again for another special occasion. Maybe I was so wowed by the first 100pt btl & the 2nd 99 pointer that this seem ever so slightly behind those 2? By any measure this was killer. Color was what you would expect from a 15yr old BDX. Incredibly youthful color on its 60th! The nose & palate though had all the depth, beguiling layers & placidity you expect from 1961 without a hint of drop off. Superb! Thanks... again, Siggy! My retirement is eminent :).
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Great provenance. Broad shoulder and masculine especially for its age. Pencil shaving, cassis, dark fruit, cigar and nutmeg. Good depth and energy on the palate which requires time to open up in the glass. Good stuff. 94-95
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“Served double blind but I knew it was mine from the color itself which is aged brownish. Nose has the vegetal, celery, orange rind, and moderate tea leaves. On the mouth, it still had a lot of powerful fruit, sweet, very animal, and circled by orange rind. This is the 2nd bottle I had over a few years timeframe, I must say it still surprised me that it can stand up against so many young wines which is not common for aged wines. Impressive.” more tasting note in finewines.com.sg
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The 1961 Grand Puy Lacoste is a wonderful example of mature GPL, full of ripe, mellow, sweet blackcurrant. It's that 61 sweetness that really gives the nose such plush allure. Pencil, leather, and loam round out the nose and though there's a little bit of old oak starting to show through on the palate, this is a lovely drink. To drink now rather than to hold, unless in large format. Best with 30 minutes of air. Very high shoulder fill. With Emeline Borie.
Well, it’s sound but not really remarkable. Top shoulder ullage, very good maroon color. But muddled on both nose and palate, it lacks delineation and energy. It become more blurry as it sat in the glass. On the positive side, the texture is very good and it’s fairly complex and not as rustic as some vintages of Grand Puy Lacoste. I’m guessing other bottles if well stored can still be excellent.
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High shoulder. Nose has cassis, tea, leather, tar and iron. Palate has good acidity but the fruit is fading. The structure of the wine is well presented despite the age. The first 30 mins is the most interesting. 91-92
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Avery Family Cellar Wine Dinner - The Worst Wine Dinner of my life (The Grill Room at Rosewood DC): Finally a very fresh bottle. Beautiful fully mature claret nose, cassis, plum, a hint of strawberry jam, noticeable bell pepper, lead pencil and earth. Medium concentration, cassis and lead pencil driven palate impression, silky in general but a hint of coarse tannins, good acidity and a long cassis and lead pencil driven finish. I suspect the yield was high. It lacks the intensity and shows a hint of green. However it is a beautifully mature claret.
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Tasted with erter99 and friends at his Nashville home. Cork soaked through, and came out in one piece. Mid shoulder fill. Not as forthcoming as my last bottle, the wine at first smelled much like vegetables kept too long in the refrigerator. We gave it a go anyway, as any '61 Bordeaux deserves some homage paid. After a few minutes in the glass something magical happened and a nose of great aged Claret developed. Sweet fruit followed through on the palate. Very much alive, but probably past peak. It's nice to hold '61 in your cellar, but this wine should be drunk sooner rather than later.
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So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodnight: A Night to Remember (Capitalle Grille, Mpls, MN): These were the same bottles that Chablis28 chronicled the history of in his notes: all from the cold, dank, dark dirt basement of a St. Paul home. Most of the wines we acquire, we don't absolutely know the provenance. We trust the source and hope for their authenticity, not to mention their careful and thoughtful storage. The beauty of a fortuitous situation like this is that none of those provenance concerns was in question. The only issue was the condition of the individual bottle and all the variables that go into what becomes of the elixir inside. I've had amazing fortune with countless older bottles over the years as the wine gods have smiled on me as I opened bottle after bottle. However, I don't think I could anticipate a situation where all four bottles of wine, from '55, '59, and two from '61 could be so pristinely preserved and be near perfection. These bottles were an amazing display of terroir, vintage, and winemaking. A living, breathing organism that when finally opened blossomed into something almost more beautiful than one can imagine. The fact that these wines can evolve into what they have and show such life, along with the near certain potential of even more longevity, is simply amazing.
Dark red color with a 5mm bricked margin. PNP, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes plus. Another perfect specimen and the third time we've been able to drink this honey. As Mr. Loaf said, two out three ain't bad. It just goes to show you, no matter what - every bottle in the same situation evolves differently. I still think the first time was the best and left me about speechless that night. Tonight, after two perfect and one near perfect wines, it had a couple of tough acts to follow. And it sure did it well. Much more like the '61 Montrose in overall character with red fruits and a medium body. On the nose, cherry, red plum, earthy, pencil, and leather. The palate like before was well integrated and provocative. Fine grained tannins, leather, red berries and cherry, good acid, purity, funk and wood spice on the finish. On any other night, this would have been the WOTN. 96+ to 97pts.
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Tonight, the wine gods blessed us with 4 exquisite btls, all from different producers between 1955-1961. All, from the same primitive but cold dirt floored and frequently flooded with a couple of inches of water, St Paul MN cellar. All wines acquired locally. For me, ALL 4 of them were 100pt+ experiences and in extraordinary condition regardless of how decrepit and patinaed the labels looked. The '55 Haut Brion label was barely readable. The Montrose was unique in the group as its label was actually, all and all, in relative excellent condition with only some lightly soiled scuffing and capsule corrosion. Maybe it resided a little higher off the floor :). I didn't see the corks and believe all of these were opened at Capital Grill upon arrival. ALL 4 btls delivered nearly or completely resolved wines free of any indication of decline and all in peak condition. I tend to be hypercritical of many old wines that show up weird and oxidized so, I fully expected 1/2 if not all, of these to be in some state of decline or long since dead. Instead, these wine exceeded my widest dreams and rank right at the top along just a few other truly flipping awesome wines I've had like a '61 La Mish HB from about 6 years ago. It was a night of superlatives and head shaking. None of us could fathom our great fortune??? Even allowing for Lonny's usual great karma effect! The '61 GPL, tonight was another ethereal, textural wonder of resolution and depth. Dark cherry, mineral, tobacco, lead pencil, and other complex flavors and aromas. Again, the color was about what you expect from a 20yr old BDX ,not, a 56yr old wine! Darker ruby with pretty gem like red edge. I've been fortune enough to enjoy another one of these this past January. I can assure you none of these 4 btls was less than 100pts for me! Here's hoping I don't miss the opening of remaining btls from this excellent local cellar! Capital Grill knocked it out of the park tonight and after gorging ourselves with great food everyone walked out with a $78 bill before tip. The steaks always rock at CG but tonight, the lobster crab cakes and ahi tuna were a blast too!
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Monthly Wine Group: Bordeaux 2005 and Older (Lela, Bloomington MN): Medium dark red color with a 1cm more subtle transitional margin. Drank 1 glass over 2 hours. This was a stark reminder of bottle variation, especially given this was from the exact same source and provenance as the last bottle we had which was spectacular. This bottle had life, but really was clinging on life support. There was fading sour cherry, dried cherry, some wood holding on, minerals, and soft tannins. While this was appreciated for its tenacity, it just wasn't anywhere near the splendid bottle we had the pleasure of recently. Still, it is ALWAYS a treat to experience these old bottles - especially in a birth year - which always generates a little more love. Thank you to Jason and Tracy for sharing these treasures. 87+pts.
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Rusted red color. Intense herbal aromatics, almost like fresh oregano. A seriously captivating nose. Beautifully poised dark fruits, leather, earth, and tobacco. A bit lighter on the palate, but still has a nice overall weight. Better on the nose than the palate, but the nose was fantastic. Still somewhat tannic, but the tannins aren't overbearing. Medium-plus acidity, with good freshness. Expected higher acidity with this wine.
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Bordeaux Birthday Oldies; 2/10/2017-2/18/2017: This beautifully well preserved bottle, sourced recently from WineBid, was quite stunning. Deep ruby color belies its age. Remarkably concentrated in the best way of the 1961 vintage with black fruit, charcoal and smoke. It's a bit burly, though, which is a GPL signature, but that is quibbling. Bottles like this still have plenty of life.
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My WOTH and another "all time top 10 btl" too. I have been the benefactor of helping Siggy drain a few of these various well preserved btls and this one was absolutely stunning! Drinking like a well aged Grand cru Burg with indescribable finesse and grace. Utterly weightless. Even a professed BDX hater would totally fall for this wine. If you ever hear anyone wax on a Chateau Margaux's elegance & grace this btl, more than any Chateau Margaux I've had to date, actually showed it. This was sex in a btl. Refined and yet some powerful aromas and intense flavors. Nothing could have been better but I don't give out 100pt scores :). Same Btl as Brad E and R&Rler. This is a complete head turner show stopper. Only edged out by a '61 La Mission Brad E opened some years ago.
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Wines to Remember at Minikahda (Minikahda Country Club, Mpls): Dark red color, 1 cm transitional margin. PNP, drank 2 glasses over 90 minutes. What a pristine and fresh bottle. This had been laying in a cold Minnesota basement since release - amazing provenance. No way I would have pegged this blind as anywhere near that old. I think I just sat there mumbling wow over and over again. I wrote it down four times so that must mean something. This is one of those bottles that was sublime for me and why we do this - sharing and having these moments. Amazingly pure red fruits on the nose that are fresh and lively, red berries, fine Italian leather, earth and horse barn, graphite. The palate is silken and almost featherweight despite an intensity and depth here. There's perfect integration and balance - simply seamless and complex, red berry, red cherry, leather, earth, spice, graphite, and very long. Thanks Steve for sharing this beauty and a birth year wine to boot. I'm still tingling. 97+ to 98pts.
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Just like smoking a great cigar while sipping on a glass of sweet cassis. Oh, and add some cedar wood to the campfire and wet forest floor aromas as well. Rustic in texture, slightly strict, yet quite charming in nature, we loved drinking it over a few hours on a warm summer night.
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A Night of Old Bordeaux at Latour Restaurant, Crystal Springs Resort, Hamburg, NJ - A lovely nose of old leaves and graphite. Tighter at first and this was one wine tonight that really improved with extensive air and time in the glass. Quite grippy but with a silky texture at the same time. Lean with high acidity at first but then the flavors of the vineyard began to emerge with notes of ripe cassis, black cherry, funky earth and mint. The finish is long and smooth with a fine complexity developing late. This is one wine that really tasted of the vineyard. 95+
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Nice funk on the nose with decaying leaves, white and bell pepper on the backnose. Appealing umami grip. Higher notes of sweet spice with air time. A very earthy palate, one can almost taste the soil these grapes were grown in. Perhaps my most surprising score of the evening. Decanted 45 minutes and consumed over two hours, great persistence in the glass. Required 45 minutes in the glass to fully open up. Enhanced by the pairing with foraged mushroom, hen's egg and lardo dish. 96+
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Vivino - Singapore "chapter" (the opening) (Imperial Treasure, Great World City): Ruby-colored, with bricking at the edges... This must be an aged wine. The nose kept giving - tea-leaves, orange-peel, flowers, forest-floor, a bit of cigar, ink. Wow! Smooth and elegant on the palate, with some fruits and tannins still intact. My first '61 GPL and a great experience.
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Mid-shoulder level. Kept upright for 36hrs & decanted one hour. Coal-like hints tainted the initial scent, but this soon vanished, leaving an expanding, tarry, flowery perfume that grew into something like Chanel No.3…! A fusion of citrus and primroses? This was amazingly alive and kicking. The colour was an even garnet, with no brown at all. Tasting revealed a soft glow, harmonized balance, with clear tannic, lemony sugar layers at the same time. This smooth-textured, mellow wine was marvellous with quails. After three hours it had gone, though. It had good length, the tannin lasting for over a minute, but the sugared lemons disappeared after 20 seconds. Not really challenging the ‘61 Mouton, but excellent nonetheless, and among the best '61s I recall.
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From 750. Mid shoulder fill. Shockingly fresh and good, with enough stuffing to last many more years. Beautiful Cabernet nose, and sweet fruit shining through on the palate through fully resolved tannins. Fine finish goes on for almost a minute. Great balance sums it all up.
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Milton's Birthday Dinner (Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck, Paragon): This was a very special wine. Quite clearly the wine of the night for me amidst a very strong line-up. The nose was quite glorious here, with still surprisingly strong cassis scent at the centre of it all, alongside complex little motes of wet earth and meat, sweet spice and winter-melon tea, with little tertiary touches of stems and roots, all combining in a glorious left-bank nose. While the nose on the 1961 Calon-Segur that we had alongside was perhaps more intriguing, I thought that this certainly smelt a lot better! The palate too was astoundingly good. One could hardly tell that this was a wine pass its 50th year. Fresh and lively, still supported by lovely fine tannins, this had lovely depth to its delicious flavours of sweet cassis and pure black cherries. It was so youthful that one would easily have guessed this to be something decades younger if not for the fact that it had resolved into a wonderfully integrated whole, with tremendous complexity drawn from tertiary notes of herbs and tobacco and wet leaves and tea and spice, all weaving in and out of the dark Cabernet fruit that filled that mouth all the way into the wine's perfectly poised and wonderfully balanced finish with its soft, velvety tannins. Wow. This was quite a profound - a great wine from a great vintage that seems to have reach its drinking-plateau. A wonderful experience.
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50th Anniversary of the '61 Vintage! (WhisknLadle Restaurant, La Jolla, California): This bottle was kindly provided by Ken Johnson. The fill was mid-shoulder and the external appearance of the bottle suggested that the liquid inside would be good. Our anticipation was heightened by a very pristine cork which was extracted intact. The wine, deep garnet/amber in color, was gently decanted and served immediately. Our concern about the potential delicate nature of this '61 was unfounded...rather than "dying" in the glass, the nose opened over the first 30 minutes to show a very complex bouquet of grilled meat, bramble fruit, mint, cocoa, saddle leather and earth. Full-bodied on the palate and with medium acidity, it likewise showed medium residual tannins and complex flavors mirroring the nose. The solid middle lead to a medium-to-long finish. Given that this wine is 50-years-old, I will not say that I really liked this WINE...what I will say is that I really liked this BOTTLE. Assuming comparably cellared, drink now-12/16.
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Finally got the opportunity to try this 1961 Bordeaux this week, my first taste at this legendary vintage. Bottle generously shared at dinner by David; low shoulder fill with loosened cork that fell into bottle on opening (thought the bottle had been standing up several days). At first, nose was really tight, just barely giving off that hot leather sofa smell of so many aged Bdx. Nose started to evolve to Sandalwood and roses, though palate was still pretty closed down, not unpleasant but less interesting than the nose. Set aside a glass and visited for 2.5 hours, at the end of the eve it was really singing with a full palate of red fruits, big nose of leather, cedar and spice. Fears of past prime easily put aside, 88-90 score range if I had to put one on it.
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CT Offline with JAR1, tantotinto, and Hollowine (Lucio's BYOB, Houston): Decanted to remove sediment, I had stood this up for serveral days, the cork slid down the neck. Was very worried about this being over the hill due to the obvious signs of corrosion on the capsule. Initially, not giving up much. Nose of sandalwood, rose water, cedar, and muted red currant. On the palate a little thin with cedar and red fruits but nicely acidic and dry on the finish. Much later in the evening this filled out and was a very pleasant drink with red currant, cherry, cedar, and graphite on the palate and nice full smooth but dry finish. Great experience, my first 61. Worth the tarriff and a great experience. Will look for more of this as there seems to be enough of it out there.
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The wine of the night at Victoria & Albert's chef's table. Chalky nose, gravel, tannic, youthful, classic Bordeaux, mint, tar, red fruit, cedar, mineral spirits. Perfect bottle.
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Michael Broadbent's "lean long-distance runner", this lived up to its billing. Bottle and fill in good shape, label faded, cork soaked about 3/4 up. Wine was decanted and let breath about 45 minutes before drinking and held up well for 2 hours. Very Paulliac nose and taste - lovely cassis and earth in a leaner bodied wine and delivers a 1961 experience. It was excellent with prime rib and root vegetables. This wine was not as full bodied and velvety as the 1961 Batailley, but very nice .
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After dinner wines at my house (My home): The condition was perfect and so was the cork. There was a young healthy reddish brown color that was pretty solid to the edge. The nose was fruity with wet stones and roasted vegtibles. The wine was drinking young for a 61. After several hours the wine was still holding on well. Smelling like a strawberry patch with salty wet rocks. In the mouth the wine was very smooth and balanced with a medium-long finsih. Very good bottle of wine but by no means outstanding or legendary.
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5/26/2023 - Shrewsram wrote:
Rounder on the nose vs the ’66, open and mature core, leafy elements, cracked leather and an almost corky waft… touch drier than ’66 to me.
Filigree sweetness on the attack, more leaf (and cardboard), and I think more delicate than the ’66. My colleagues preferred 61 vs 66 but here maybe because there was so little left, it had deteriorated?
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8/5/2022 - melzar wrote: 93 Points
A certain homage must be paid to any bottle of '61 Bordeaux. Dirty original cork and a mid shoulder fill caused some worry. Funky nose upon opening. Decanted for an hour and half. This released the still abundant fruit. Glorious nose.. Well balanced with good acidity and fully resolved tannin. I suspect that this was once better, but I love old Bordeaux. This wine has aged better than I have.
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4/6/2022 - Jeff Leve wrote: 89 Points
On the stoic and stern side of the style range. The wine is focused on its cigar, tobacco, cedar side with firm tannins and a tart edge to the red fruits. Some bottles are clearly better than others. It is all about the storage at this age. The bottle looked good... But it is what it is.
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2/5/2022 - sdr Does not like this wine: 86 Points
61s at 61 (Bourbon Steak, Aventura, Florida): The brawny aroma in the empty glass was actually the best part of the tasting experience since for the most part this bottle despite a good appearance was much too old. There’s a vestige of that GPL burly black fruit and Pauillac dirt but no where near enough. You can drink it for the experience if you want to but you probably don’t.
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9/18/2021 - rocknroller wrote: 97 Points
Brad's Belated Big 6-0 Birthday Celebration (Brad & Marcia's Place, St. Paul, MN): Dark red color with a 3mm transitional margin. Splash double decanted and vacuumed. Drank a glass over an hour. This was another real treat and the fourth time I have the privilege to drink this beautiful wine. With the exception of one bottle that was simply ok, all the rest have been utterly profound. Beautiful, blissful pencil, cigar ash, red fruits, deep red berries, cured meats, funk, leather integrated tannins. This has a medium plus weight, great length and grace and you would certainly never peg it for 60 years old. Thanks to Steve for again sharing this gem. 97+ to 98pts.
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9/18/2021 - chablis28 wrote: 98 Points
This is the 3rd one of these I've been fortunate to drink again for another special occasion. Maybe I was so wowed by the first 100pt btl & the 2nd 99 pointer that this seem ever so slightly behind those 2? By any measure this was killer. Color was what you would expect from a 15yr old BDX. Incredibly youthful color on its 60th! The nose & palate though had all the depth, beguiling layers & placidity you expect from 1961 without a hint of drop off. Superb! Thanks... again, Siggy! My retirement is eminent :).
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6/4/2020 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 95 Points
Great provenance. Broad shoulder and masculine especially for its age. Pencil shaving, cassis, dark fruit, cigar and nutmeg. Good depth and energy on the palate which requires time to open up in the glass. Good stuff. 94-95
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3/3/2020 - Wine by Bok wrote: 90 Points
“Served double blind but I knew it was mine from the color itself which is aged brownish. Nose has the vegetal, celery, orange rind, and moderate tea leaves. On the mouth, it still had a lot of powerful fruit, sweet, very animal, and circled by orange rind. This is the 2nd bottle I had over a few years timeframe, I must say it still surprised me that it can stand up against so many young wines which is not common for aged wines. Impressive.”
more tasting note in finewines.com.sg
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12/20/2019 - Eric wrote:
Eastside Tasting Group End of Year Extravaganza (Newcastle, WA): Spiny, tobacco, Pauillac time! Lots of leaf and mint with surprising structure.
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6/20/2019 - englishman's claret wrote: 97 Points
The 1961 Grand Puy Lacoste is a wonderful example of mature GPL, full of ripe, mellow, sweet blackcurrant. It's that 61 sweetness that really gives the nose such plush allure. Pencil, leather, and loam round out the nose and though there's a little bit of old oak starting to show through on the palate, this is a lovely drink. To drink now rather than to hold, unless in large format. Best with 30 minutes of air. Very high shoulder fill. With Emeline Borie.
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5/24/2019 - sdr Likes this wine: 89 Points
Well, it’s sound but not really remarkable. Top shoulder ullage, very good maroon color. But muddled on both nose and palate, it lacks delineation and energy. It become more blurry as it sat in the glass. On the positive side, the texture is very good and it’s fairly complex and not as rustic as some vintages of Grand Puy Lacoste. I’m guessing other bottles if well stored can still be excellent.
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5/3/2018 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 91 Points
High shoulder. Nose has cassis, tea, leather, tar and iron. Palate has good acidity but the fruit is fading. The structure of the wine is well presented despite the age. The first 30 mins is the most interesting. 91-92
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2/1/2018 - dcwino wrote: 95 Points
Avery Family Cellar Wine Dinner - The Worst Wine Dinner of my life (The Grill Room at Rosewood DC): Finally a very fresh bottle. Beautiful fully mature claret nose, cassis, plum, a hint of strawberry jam, noticeable bell pepper, lead pencil and earth. Medium concentration, cassis and lead pencil driven palate impression, silky in general but a hint of coarse tannins, good acidity and a long cassis and lead pencil driven finish. I suspect the yield was high. It lacks the intensity and shows a hint of green. However it is a beautifully mature claret.
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9/26/2017 - melzar wrote: 94 Points
Tasted with erter99 and friends at his Nashville home. Cork soaked through, and came out in one piece. Mid shoulder fill. Not as forthcoming as my last bottle, the wine at first smelled much like vegetables kept too long in the refrigerator. We gave it a go anyway, as any '61 Bordeaux deserves some homage paid. After a few minutes in the glass something magical happened and a nose of great aged Claret developed. Sweet fruit followed through on the palate. Very much alive, but probably past peak. It's nice to hold '61 in your cellar, but this wine should be drunk sooner rather than later.
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7/23/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 97 Points
So Long, Farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, Goodnight: A Night to Remember (Capitalle Grille, Mpls, MN): These were the same bottles that Chablis28 chronicled the history of in his notes: all from the cold, dank, dark dirt basement of a St. Paul home. Most of the wines we acquire, we don't absolutely know the provenance. We trust the source and hope for their authenticity, not to mention their careful and thoughtful storage. The beauty of a fortuitous situation like this is that none of those provenance concerns was in question. The only issue was the condition of the individual bottle and all the variables that go into what becomes of the elixir inside. I've had amazing fortune with countless older bottles over the years as the wine gods have smiled on me as I opened bottle after bottle. However, I don't think I could anticipate a situation where all four bottles of wine, from '55, '59, and two from '61 could be so pristinely preserved and be near perfection. These bottles were an amazing display of terroir, vintage, and winemaking. A living, breathing organism that when finally opened blossomed into something almost more beautiful than one can imagine. The fact that these wines can evolve into what they have and show such life, along with the near certain potential of even more longevity, is simply amazing.
Dark red color with a 5mm bricked margin. PNP, drank 1 glass over 90 minutes plus. Another perfect specimen and the third time we've been able to drink this honey. As Mr. Loaf said, two out three ain't bad. It just goes to show you, no matter what - every bottle in the same situation evolves differently. I still think the first time was the best and left me about speechless that night. Tonight, after two perfect and one near perfect wines, it had a couple of tough acts to follow. And it sure did it well. Much more like the '61 Montrose in overall character with red fruits and a medium body. On the nose, cherry, red plum, earthy, pencil, and leather. The palate like before was well integrated and provocative. Fine grained tannins, leather, red berries and cherry, good acid, purity, funk and wood spice on the finish. On any other night, this would have been the WOTN. 96+ to 97pts.
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7/23/2017 - chablis28 wrote: 100 Points
Tonight, the wine gods blessed us with 4 exquisite btls, all from different producers between 1955-1961. All, from the same primitive but cold dirt floored and frequently flooded with a couple of inches of water, St Paul MN cellar. All wines acquired locally. For me, ALL 4 of them were 100pt+ experiences and in extraordinary condition regardless of how decrepit and patinaed the labels looked. The '55 Haut Brion label was barely readable. The Montrose was unique in the group as its label was actually, all and all, in relative excellent condition with only some lightly soiled scuffing and capsule corrosion. Maybe it resided a little higher off the floor :). I didn't see the corks and believe all of these were opened at Capital Grill upon arrival. ALL 4 btls delivered nearly or completely resolved wines free of any indication of decline and all in peak condition. I tend to be hypercritical of many old wines that show up weird and oxidized so, I fully expected 1/2 if not all, of these to be in some state of decline or long since dead. Instead, these wine exceeded my widest dreams and rank right at the top along just a few other truly flipping awesome wines I've had like a '61 La Mish HB from about 6 years ago. It was a night of superlatives and head shaking. None of us could fathom our great fortune??? Even allowing for Lonny's usual great karma effect! The '61 GPL, tonight was another ethereal, textural wonder of resolution and depth. Dark cherry, mineral, tobacco, lead pencil, and other complex flavors and aromas. Again, the color was about what you expect from a 20yr old BDX ,not, a 56yr old wine! Darker ruby with pretty gem like red edge. I've been fortune enough to enjoy another one of these this past January. I can assure you none of these 4 btls was less than 100pts for me! Here's hoping I don't miss the opening of remaining btls from this excellent local cellar! Capital Grill knocked it out of the park tonight and after gorging ourselves with great food everyone walked out with a $78 bill before tip. The steaks always rock at CG but tonight, the lobster crab cakes and ahi tuna were a blast too!
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2/19/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 87 Points
Monthly Wine Group: Bordeaux 2005 and Older (Lela, Bloomington MN): Medium dark red color with a 1cm more subtle transitional margin. Drank 1 glass over 2 hours. This was a stark reminder of bottle variation, especially given this was from the exact same source and provenance as the last bottle we had which was spectacular. This bottle had life, but really was clinging on life support. There was fading sour cherry, dried cherry, some wood holding on, minerals, and soft tannins. While this was appreciated for its tenacity, it just wasn't anywhere near the splendid bottle we had the pleasure of recently. Still, it is ALWAYS a treat to experience these old bottles - especially in a birth year - which always generates a little more love. Thank you to Jason and Tracy for sharing these treasures. 87+pts.
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2/18/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 95 Points
Rusted red color. Intense herbal aromatics, almost like fresh oregano. A seriously captivating nose. Beautifully poised dark fruits, leather, earth, and tobacco. A bit lighter on the palate, but still has a nice overall weight. Better on the nose than the palate, but the nose was fantastic. Still somewhat tannic, but the tannins aren't overbearing. Medium-plus acidity, with good freshness. Expected higher acidity with this wine.
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2/18/2017 - sdr Likes this wine: 93 Points
Bordeaux Birthday Oldies; 2/10/2017-2/18/2017: This beautifully well preserved bottle, sourced recently from WineBid, was quite stunning. Deep ruby color belies its age. Remarkably concentrated in the best way of the 1961 vintage with black fruit, charcoal and smoke. It's a bit burly, though, which is a GPL signature, but that is quibbling. Bottles like this still have plenty of life.
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1/15/2017 - chablis28 wrote: 99 Points
My WOTH and another "all time top 10 btl" too. I have been the benefactor of helping Siggy drain a few of these various well preserved btls and this one was absolutely stunning! Drinking like a well aged Grand cru Burg with indescribable finesse and grace. Utterly weightless. Even a professed BDX hater would totally fall for this wine. If you ever hear anyone wax on a Chateau Margaux's elegance & grace this btl, more than any Chateau Margaux I've had to date, actually showed it. This was sex in a btl. Refined and yet some powerful aromas and intense flavors. Nothing could have been better but I don't give out 100pt scores :). Same Btl as Brad E and R&Rler. This is a complete head turner show stopper. Only edged out by a '61 La Mission Brad E opened some years ago.
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1/15/2017 - rocknroller wrote: 98 Points
Wines to Remember at Minikahda (Minikahda Country Club, Mpls): Dark red color, 1 cm transitional margin. PNP, drank 2 glasses over 90 minutes. What a pristine and fresh bottle. This had been laying in a cold Minnesota basement since release - amazing provenance. No way I would have pegged this blind as anywhere near that old. I think I just sat there mumbling wow over and over again. I wrote it down four times so that must mean something. This is one of those bottles that was sublime for me and why we do this - sharing and having these moments. Amazingly pure red fruits on the nose that are fresh and lively, red berries, fine Italian leather, earth and horse barn, graphite. The palate is silken and almost featherweight despite an intensity and depth here. There's perfect integration and balance - simply seamless and complex, red berry, red cherry, leather, earth, spice, graphite, and very long. Thanks Steve for sharing this beauty and a birth year wine to boot. I'm still tingling. 97+ to 98pts.
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1/15/2017 - BradE wrote:
A perfect bottle, that showed a nice leather element, and overall was terrific.
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11/19/2016 - tinybubbles wrote: flawed
Not the best bottle. Would have scored a 90
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8/22/2016 - Jeff Leve wrote: 92 Points
Just like smoking a great cigar while sipping on a glass of sweet cassis. Oh, and add some cedar wood to the campfire and wet forest floor aromas as well. Rustic in texture, slightly strict, yet quite charming in nature, we loved drinking it over a few hours on a warm summer night.
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8/22/2015 - dream Likes this wine: 95 Points
A Night of Old Bordeaux at Latour Restaurant, Crystal Springs Resort, Hamburg, NJ - A lovely nose of old leaves and graphite. Tighter at first and this was one wine tonight that really improved with extensive air and time in the glass. Quite grippy but with a silky texture at the same time. Lean with high acidity at first but then the flavors of the vineyard began to emerge with notes of ripe cassis, black cherry, funky earth and mint. The finish is long and smooth with a fine complexity developing late. This is one wine that really tasted of the vineyard. 95+
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8/19/2015 - tinybubbles Likes this wine: 96 Points
Nice funk on the nose with decaying leaves, white and bell pepper on the backnose. Appealing umami grip. Higher notes of sweet spice with air time. A very earthy palate, one can almost taste the soil these grapes were grown in. Perhaps my most surprising score of the evening. Decanted 45 minutes and consumed over two hours, great persistence in the glass. Required 45 minutes in the glass to fully open up. Enhanced by the pairing with foraged mushroom, hen's egg and lardo dish. 96+
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11/7/2014 - etyc Likes this wine:
Vivino - Singapore "chapter" (the opening) (Imperial Treasure, Great World City): Ruby-colored, with bricking at the edges... This must be an aged wine. The nose kept giving - tea-leaves, orange-peel, flowers, forest-floor, a bit of cigar, ink. Wow! Smooth and elegant on the palate, with some fruits and tannins still intact. My first '61 GPL and a great experience.
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10/25/2014 - jhtswhiteley Likes this wine: 96 Points
Mid-shoulder level. Kept upright for 36hrs & decanted one hour. Coal-like hints tainted the initial scent, but this soon vanished, leaving an expanding, tarry, flowery perfume that grew into something like Chanel No.3…! A fusion of citrus and primroses? This was amazingly alive and kicking. The colour was an even garnet, with no brown at all. Tasting revealed a soft glow, harmonized balance, with clear tannic, lemony sugar layers at the same time. This smooth-textured, mellow wine was marvellous with quails. After three hours it had gone, though. It had good length, the tannin lasting for over a minute, but the sugared lemons disappeared after 20 seconds. Not really challenging the ‘61 Mouton, but excellent nonetheless, and among the best '61s I recall.
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7/1/2012 - melzar wrote: 94 Points
From 750. Mid shoulder fill. Shockingly fresh and good, with enough stuffing to last many more years. Beautiful Cabernet nose, and sweet fruit shining through on the palate through fully resolved tannins. Fine finish goes on for almost a minute. Great balance sums it all up.
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5/31/2012 - Paul S wrote: 95 Points
Milton's Birthday Dinner (Imperial Treasure Super Peking Duck, Paragon): This was a very special wine. Quite clearly the wine of the night for me amidst a very strong line-up. The nose was quite glorious here, with still surprisingly strong cassis scent at the centre of it all, alongside complex little motes of wet earth and meat, sweet spice and winter-melon tea, with little tertiary touches of stems and roots, all combining in a glorious left-bank nose. While the nose on the 1961 Calon-Segur that we had alongside was perhaps more intriguing, I thought that this certainly smelt a lot better! The palate too was astoundingly good. One could hardly tell that this was a wine pass its 50th year. Fresh and lively, still supported by lovely fine tannins, this had lovely depth to its delicious flavours of sweet cassis and pure black cherries. It was so youthful that one would easily have guessed this to be something decades younger if not for the fact that it had resolved into a wonderfully integrated whole, with tremendous complexity drawn from tertiary notes of herbs and tobacco and wet leaves and tea and spice, all weaving in and out of the dark Cabernet fruit that filled that mouth all the way into the wine's perfectly poised and wonderfully balanced finish with its soft, velvety tannins. Wow. This was quite a profound - a great wine from a great vintage that seems to have reach its drinking-plateau. A wonderful experience.
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10/4/2011 - La Cave d'Argent wrote: 93 Points
50th Anniversary of the '61 Vintage! (WhisknLadle Restaurant, La Jolla, California): This bottle was kindly provided by Ken Johnson. The fill was mid-shoulder and the external appearance of the bottle suggested that the liquid inside would be good. Our anticipation was heightened by a very pristine cork which was extracted intact. The wine, deep garnet/amber in color, was gently decanted and served immediately. Our concern about the potential delicate nature of this '61 was unfounded...rather than "dying" in the glass, the nose opened over the first 30 minutes to show a very complex bouquet of grilled meat, bramble fruit, mint, cocoa, saddle leather and earth. Full-bodied on the palate and with medium acidity, it likewise showed medium residual tannins and complex flavors mirroring the nose. The solid middle lead to a medium-to-long finish. Given that this wine is 50-years-old, I will not say that I really liked this WINE...what I will say is that I really liked this BOTTLE. Assuming comparably cellared, drink now-12/16.
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5/4/2011 - Hollowine wrote: 89 Points
Finally got the opportunity to try this 1961 Bordeaux this week, my first taste at this legendary vintage. Bottle generously shared at dinner by David; low shoulder fill with loosened cork that fell into bottle on opening (thought the bottle had been standing up several days). At first, nose was really tight, just barely giving off that hot leather sofa smell of so many aged Bdx. Nose started to evolve to Sandalwood and roses, though palate was still pretty closed down, not unpleasant but less interesting than the nose. Set aside a glass and visited for 2.5 hours, at the end of the eve it was really singing with a full palate of red fruits, big nose of leather, cedar and spice. Fears of past prime easily put aside, 88-90 score range if I had to put one on it.
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5/3/2011 - GalvezGuy wrote: 89 Points
CT Offline with JAR1, tantotinto, and Hollowine (Lucio's BYOB, Houston): Decanted to remove sediment, I had stood this up for serveral days, the cork slid down the neck. Was very worried about this being over the hill due to the obvious signs of corrosion on the capsule. Initially, not giving up much. Nose of sandalwood, rose water, cedar, and muted red currant. On the palate a little thin with cedar and red fruits but nicely acidic and dry on the finish. Much later in the evening this filled out and was a very pleasant drink with red currant, cherry, cedar, and graphite on the palate and nice full smooth but dry finish. Great experience, my first 61. Worth the tarriff and a great experience. Will look for more of this as there seems to be enough of it out there.
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4/6/2010 - rnellans wrote: 95 Points
Some browning on the edges. Leather, tobacco notes. Great balance. Soft with integrated tannins. Very long finish. Beautiful wine.
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3/13/2010 - salcorn wrote: 99 Points
The wine of the night at Victoria & Albert's chef's table. Chalky nose, gravel, tannic, youthful, classic Bordeaux, mint, tar, red fruit, cedar, mineral spirits. Perfect bottle.
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6/22/2009 - vindictive wrote:
Michael Broadbent's "lean long-distance runner", this lived up to its billing. Bottle and fill in good shape, label faded, cork soaked about 3/4 up. Wine was decanted and let breath about 45 minutes before drinking and held up well for 2 hours. Very Paulliac nose and taste - lovely cassis and earth in a leaner bodied wine and delivers a 1961 experience. It was excellent with prime rib and root vegetables. This wine was not as full bodied and velvety as the 1961 Batailley, but very nice .
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11/21/2008 - d'Auvenay wrote: 92 Points
Wine opened in 1+ hrs and lasted 2+ hrs. Smooth, but the edge slightly thin. Still very enjoyable. Consume now as it won't improve much more.
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3/22/2008 - jordanj wrote: 93 Points
After dinner wines at my house (My home): The condition was perfect and so was the cork. There was a young healthy reddish brown color that was pretty solid to the edge. The nose was fruity with wet stones and roasted vegtibles. The wine was drinking young for a 61. After several hours the wine was still holding on well. Smelling like a strawberry patch with salty wet rocks. In the mouth the wine was very smooth and balanced with a medium-long finsih. Very good bottle of wine but by no means outstanding or legendary.
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