Italiano
My Bordeaux: Before and after the Second World War
We look back here to vintages of wines that will leave you speechless, prime examples of the capacity Bordeaux wines have to age.
We continue to go back in time to two great decades: the 1950s and the 1930s. Here we are dealing with wines the stuff of legends that only a fortunate few, who are still alive, can claim to have tasted.
These wines are extremely difficult to find, even at auctions, and, above all, are subject to problems related to conservation, those of intercontinental transportation and a trail of ownership that is not always easy to verify.
Chateau Haut Brion Pessac Leognan Premier Grand Cru Classé 1958 Château Haut Brion
97/100 - € 850
I’ve had this many times and have never been disappointed, no matter what critics may have had to say. A red color that is still dark and intense with rare spicy aromas including that note of shag tobacco that makes it unique. The notes of strong licorice, an always present balsamic sensation and spice titillate the nostrils in an indecent way. The mouthfeel is austere, full, rich and still lively. Phenomenal.
Pomerol 1955 Château Petrus
95/100 - € 3000
A relatively bold, ruby-garnet color with fine aromas from bottle aging: damp earth, bark, autumn underbrush and humus covered in dew. The mouthfeel has unusual finesse, making it a little retro with its aristocratic and impalpable structure, and is still lively and pulsating.
Pauillac Premier Grand Cru Classé 1955 Château Latour
99/100 - € 1500
Sampled during a recent tasting of vintage wines, this overwhelmed all those present with its absolute integrity and still lively red color, with its light garnet hues. There were wonderful bottle aging scents of crushed violet, dried rose, fine porcini mushroom and truffle nuances. The dense and rich mouthfeel has a surprising energy with very fine and fleeting tannins.
Pauillac Premier Cru Classé 1954 Château Lafite Rothschild
93/100 - € 1400
A decidedly garnet color with some orange reflections in the edge. It is cold and upright beginning with its aromas which are at first slightly hesitant before opening boldly with notes of leather and roots, Jerusalem artichoke and ginger, embellished with sweet yet spicy hot echoes of spice. The mouthfeel has soft tannins that interact with the still present acidity and salinity.
Pauillac Premier Grand Cru Classé 1934 Château Latour
97/100 - € 1600
Here again the color amazes for still not being totally evolved: an intense and luminous garnet with a nice transparency and just a few coquettish orange hues. The spice/mushroom aromatic spectrum is stupendous with an excellent intensity and variety in the glass. Never calm, it goes on to develop notes of dark chocolate and sweet licorice. The mouthfeel is decidedly (at 86 years of age) young with very fine tannins which are still present even if nicely evolved and rounded and very thick. The persistence is fantastic.
Margaux Premier Grand Cru Classé 1934 Château Margaux
96/100 - € 1000
A relatively concentrated, red-garnet color with some hints of orange hues. The bouquet will leave you speechless because the floral scents, cut and dried flowers, is still evident, as are the balsamic notes and those of incense and oriental spice. The mouthfeel is a silk drape that is not in any way contaminated, a fine wine that is true to itself and self-supporting. While structurally less “solid” than a Latour, it is still very intact and has an extraordinary elegance.
