You know who to call for the next '59 dinner! I have some beauties. I was just looking at a cloudy bottle of '59 Cristal. I’m preparing myself for the worst when I open that one, but maybe I’ll be pleasantly surprised. It looks like a science project gone bad. I’m pretty deep in other 59’s, but won’t likely see a BAMA or Magdelaine from that year in my lifetime. The cat is out of the bag on those wineries.
I know that Monsieur Boyer is rightly renowned for his ability to produce great wines in poor vintages, but I think even he would have been hard-pressed to do so in 1969! it was a real stinker of a year - I have “fond” memories of a Latour 1969 I bought in the mid-80s: I can still recall the skin-crawlingly mouldy taste. At 190€ it seems like a huge gamble.
Lucky you! I agree that it’s a wonderful wine, one of the best BAMAs I have tasted.
I actually found it for EUR 70 and the bottles seem to be in great condition, so I’ll take one for the team and will let you guys if it was indeed horrendous
At that price, I would probably grab one. In the last several years I have had a 1965 Mouton that was lovely and a 1973 Latour that was excellent, Two vintages that I would otherwise never buy. So sometimes you just never know, but the price has to be right.
I keep trying to stop buying, but some great recent Bordeaux (2000 Leoville-Poyferre and 2001 Margaux were particularly outstanding) broke down my self-discipline and I grabbed three each of 1995, 1999, 2000, and 2010.
I should open my 1963, if that’s drinkable I reckon the 1969 would be. 1969 at least has the merit of potentially back-blending of 1970, which is a very nice Bel Air Marquis d’Aligre vintage—as it happens, the vintage I opened for Neal Martin, his first encounter with the estate!
I was 10 minutes in. Asked for one of each except 2005. I’m not buying any bordeaux right now, but I’ve read so much about BAMA that I had to try a few vintages.