1961 Chateau Margaux ... yes it was a good night

[TheEngineer]

I had bought this on auction and was fearful that it would be corked, etc,... For those of you old enough...no one on this board apparently, this bottle was still in its purple paper wrapper and the old metal cage. The cap and labels were in good shape and it completely looked the part. The fill was just below shoulder level. Effectively perfect for a 52 year old wine..... so I was worried about fakes too but with the original wrapper and cage (i,e. the paper had stuck hard to the cage and was impossible to tamper with without ripping it) around it, I felt safer.

I opened this for a field that had come by for dinner, amoungst a few other bottles that I will post in coming days but this was the anticpated wine of the night. As such, I was worried about a faulty wine now.

The capsule opened up to reveal just the right amount of mold on both the cork and the capsule....good. Cork came out in ONE PIECE...perfect. and then I waited. I poured the first glass and then one for the guest and then around to all my friends. One by one, as the wine opened up, started to smile. This wine is definitely fully matured and on the start of the decline but what a graceful wine The wine was fully integrated, the fruit still in tact but combined with the secondary and tertiary flavours in a highly complex way. The texture was begullying, smooth and silky, the epitome of grace. And it was delicate, with a medium plus finish but a super long persistence which now resides permanently in memory. What a great bottle. For it to have traveled in this shape for 52 years is just insane.

[winoweenie]

Have never had the pleasure of the 61 but had a 66 aong with 2 other 1st growths about 6 or 8 years ago and all were quite memorable. Sounds like a great nite. WW