Thanks. I hope so !
Magdelaine still spectacular IMO.
I’ll be having a 75 Beau Sejour Becot mag in late Dec for my wife’s BDay, glad to hear right bank is supposed to be good for 75. Picked my bottle up at auction so fingers crossed its still good.
Last had 1975 Figeac in October 2017 as part of a vertical spanning 2010-1905 (not every vintage!). That bottle was pure magic - one of the wines of the night and the equal of the 1961. Sorry yours wasn’t on song, Mark.
Chris, my wife is also a 1975 vintage, and we had the Troplong Mondot Saint Emilion for her birthday earlier this year. It was a well-stored bottle picked up at auction last year (under $40) and was really delicious, with plenty of fruit left but that nice leathery, tobacco character of older Bordeaux.
Yeah. I would have a hard time believing the wine, well stored, shows this way considering whether other 1975s are, but I don’t recall ever trying ‘75 Figeac.
Mark, is that a consistent result for you from bottles you trust?
75 Magdelaine is excellent but needs air.
Good ‘75 Bordeaux reds I’ve had in the last ~3 years from my own auction purchases but mostly from friends, bottle condition being critical: Magdelaine, Domaine de Chevalier Rouge, Trotanoy, La Mission Haut Brion, Montrose. I am trying to remember if I’ve had Haut Bailly but maybe not, maybe only other ‘70s vintages there. I think a good bottle of Pape Clement would be very good but a bottle I recall from a couple years ago was a little tired.
Yquem in March was otherworldly. 75 Climens also has been crazy good the couple times I’ve had it in the last few years.
Now going back ~6 years, Christoph Schaefer opened a bottle of ‘75 Graacher Domprobst BA from his cellar at a Rieslingfeier dinner in NYC that was also otherworldly.
Agreed. We had one in, I dunno 2010 that was really nice at an ancient BDX dinner.
Had another in, hmmm 2015? Was a bit out of place and discombulated that time.
Only great bottles…
75 LLC (out of mag) remains by far the best LLC I’ve ever had, though I admit that’s not a high bar for me.
Yeah - I am down to two bottles of the 75 Las cases and have been hoarding it.
This thread is inspiring me to open some older wines, though - maybe a mini-vertical of Leoville Barton from 89 and 90 - always fascinating how those two excellent vintages present differently.
Hi Bill,
Yes, you’re right, I remember a 1989/90 tasting a few years back with all the first growths (at HDH). Both years were wonderful, but so different: 90, solar, for a lack of a better word; 89 dense and brooding. The '90 Cheval Blanc and the '89 Haut Brion were especially memorable, though '90 Latour was not half bad either.
Care to expand on how it’s showing? Was just offered a bunch, tempted to buy more if you think well of it
The 89 and 90 are so different but both very good.
The 89 is classic but the 90 is a new style - some say more new world with sweeter fruit The two vintages are a pair not seen since the 1928/1929 duo, which I have only tasted a couple of times. The traditionalists (I generally count myself among them) tend to prefer the structure of the 89s while the modernists prefer the more forward fruit of the 90s. It is a fun discussion that we can continue to debate for many years yet!
I’d certainly consider buying more 75 Las cases if you have the chance. Well cellared it is a very good bet.
Unlike Barton which is pretty miserable in 1975.
Don’t know that I’d call it miserable - more variable. I’ve had quite good bottles totally spoiled bottles, and bottles that traversed a shortened arc after opening, segueing from opening up to shutting down in less than an hour. Those are flawed and aren’t representative of the wine at its best. Sorry if you’ve had more than one bad bottle. I tasted the Barton vs Las Cases a couple of times and the Barton at least held its head up in the comparison.
Thank you Bill, William, Peter, Marshall, etc., for all of your ideas. This thread started with a dying dog, but I come away very encouraged about finding a good '75.
It’s always been weird to me how there is so much difference in 1975 between St Emilions versus the Pomerols. Typically years that are good for one of those AOC tend to be good for the other.