Oldest Wine you have drunk
Jun 29, 2007, 11:52 pm
#1
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Oldest Wine you have drunk
I thought I would start this new thread to see what other members experiences in old wines have been.
Here are my selections of old vintages.
Oldest Red Wine: Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 1955 (english bottling) in 1986.
Oldest White Wine: Moulin Touchais 1959 in the mid 90s.
Oldest Port: Gould Campbell 1955 in 2000. An absolutely stunning wine from a great vintage. Gould Campbell is good rather than great house. How I kick myself for passing up the opportunity to buy a Taylor 1955 at Berry Brothers & Rudd in Terminal 4 of LHR last year.
Oldest Madeira: 1882 Bual Madeira in 1986. A separate category as Madeiras are by far the longest lived wines of all. This one could have easily lasted for another 50 years!
Here are my selections of old vintages.
Oldest Red Wine: Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 1955 (english bottling) in 1986.
Oldest White Wine: Moulin Touchais 1959 in the mid 90s.
Oldest Port: Gould Campbell 1955 in 2000. An absolutely stunning wine from a great vintage. Gould Campbell is good rather than great house. How I kick myself for passing up the opportunity to buy a Taylor 1955 at Berry Brothers & Rudd in Terminal 4 of LHR last year.
Oldest Madeira: 1882 Bual Madeira in 1986. A separate category as Madeiras are by far the longest lived wines of all. This one could have easily lasted for another 50 years!
Jun 30, 2007, 12:18 am
#2
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This is a great thread and I look forward to salivating over all the fine wines I will read about here.
For myself: 1934 vintage port, Warre, I believe. A tawny: delicious, so smooth and caramelly.
1943 vintage Barsac, Ch. Climens or Doisey-Daens - I can't remember for sure. Is there just a "Ch. Barsac"? Golden, honeyed nectar of the gods. But it was a '43, for sure, and part of a 4-vintage vertical: '43, '55', '69, & '74; iirc! I remember thinking: "Damn, the nazi's were occupying France, but that didn't stop the folks in Barsac from vinifying their grapes!"
After that, I believe the 1974 vintage is about where I started tasting French, Italian, and California wines as a semi-serious oenophile.
Number 6, lay it on us!
For myself: 1934 vintage port, Warre, I believe. A tawny: delicious, so smooth and caramelly.
1943 vintage Barsac, Ch. Climens or Doisey-Daens - I can't remember for sure. Is there just a "Ch. Barsac"? Golden, honeyed nectar of the gods. But it was a '43, for sure, and part of a 4-vintage vertical: '43, '55', '69, & '74; iirc! I remember thinking: "Damn, the nazi's were occupying France, but that didn't stop the folks in Barsac from vinifying their grapes!"
After that, I believe the 1974 vintage is about where I started tasting French, Italian, and California wines as a semi-serious oenophile.
Number 6, lay it on us!
Last edited by kaukau; Jun 30, 2007 at 12:35 am
Jun 30, 2007, 5:11 pm
#6
Join Date: Mar 2007
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As far as Madeira goes, I have a bottle of the 1834 Barbeito Malvasia I have been enjoying recently. Somewhere in the cellar is a bottle of 1795 Terrantez (Companhia Vinicola da Madeira)... not sure I'll ever find an occasion grand enough to open that one.
Jun 30, 2007, 5:47 pm
#7
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I came across the following website for Madeira which may be of interest.http://www.madeirawineguide.com/
Jun 30, 2007, 8:20 pm
#9
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Jun 30, 2007, 8:28 pm
#10
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Sadly, Berry Brothers and Rudd have closed their tax free wine shops. http://www.bbr.com/GB/about/heathrow.lml 
A friend informed me that according to Decanter magazine, Berry Brothers was not selling enough products to continue operating the stores. Non-EU customers are however still eligible for a VAT refund from their store at 3 St. James's Place.
A friend informed me that according to Decanter magazine, Berry Brothers was not selling enough products to continue operating the stores. Non-EU customers are however still eligible for a VAT refund from their store at 3 St. James's Place.
Jun 30, 2007, 8:39 pm
#11
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When I got married (the first time around), my father in-law presented me with a bottle of 1964 Chateau Carbonnieux Graves Cru Classé Bordeaux.
He chose this wine from his cellar for me as I was born in 1964. My wife and I opened and drank it on our first anniversary in 1989. Like many of the other comments about aged wines, it was drinkable, had a very complex body but was not as balanced as it would have been perhaps five years earlier.
He chose this wine from his cellar for me as I was born in 1964. My wife and I opened and drank it on our first anniversary in 1989. Like many of the other comments about aged wines, it was drinkable, had a very complex body but was not as balanced as it would have been perhaps five years earlier.
Jul 1, 2007, 6:40 pm
#12
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Hard to forget the bottle of Moet & Chandon 1927 that a friend opened in 1971 after finding it in his father's collection not long after his having passed away. The carbonation was down to a smooth spritz, the color was a deep gold, and the taste leaned much toward wheat and honey.
Jul 1, 2007, 9:54 pm
#13
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1959 vintage port, last year for Christmas...
Yummmmm...
Oh, and I've got a bottle of Scotch put aside for my PhD, wedding, or wake.
It was 15 y.o. when imported to the US and the tax tamp slapped on it...
...in 1939.
Yummmmm...
Oh, and I've got a bottle of Scotch put aside for my PhD, wedding, or wake.
It was 15 y.o. when imported to the US and the tax tamp slapped on it...
...in 1939.
Jul 29, 2007, 11:40 pm
#14
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Great thread.
My best was a 25 yo Chateauneuf du Pape, 1972, opened in 1997. But hey, I'm only 35, and I have some good '95, '96, '00 & '03 Bordeaux in the cellar for the long haul.^
My best was a 25 yo Chateauneuf du Pape, 1972, opened in 1997. But hey, I'm only 35, and I have some good '95, '96, '00 & '03 Bordeaux in the cellar for the long haul.^
Jul 30, 2007, 2:04 am
#15
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I bought a Chateauneuf du Pape 1935 for my mom's 65th birthday, the year she was born. Was more orange than red but still drinkable. I brought in Russian caviar from that store in Kloten (ZRH) and blinis as well. Was nice.
Also drank a 1971 Chateau Lafite for my 30th bday, my birthyear...wasn't that great but ok.
More sentimental stuff than great.
Also drank a 1780s Madeira in London a few years back..forget the name though.
Also drank a 1971 Chateau Lafite for my 30th bday, my birthyear...wasn't that great but ok.
More sentimental stuff than great.
Also drank a 1780s Madeira in London a few years back..forget the name though.