Chateau la Tour de Mons 1966

[BlondeBuffoon]

Greetings my wine drinking friends!

Firstly, I want to say thank you for all the excellent information I have read on this site over the past few weeks. I have just started developing an interest in wine since a friend gave me a bottle at christmas.

Now, I have a bottle of Chateau la Tour de Mons, 1966 vintage. I understand that la Tour de Mons is a well-respected vineyard that is allowed to use the appellation of Margaux. I also understand that 1966 is a good vintage. My question is, should I drink up this bad boy asap or can I hold it for a little while longer? Also, do you have any idea of its value? This might be a foolish question, but what grape variety is it likely to be?

I also have a bottle of 1977 Laurent Perrier champagne (extra dry) which was made for Queen Elizabeth II's Silver Jubilee. My questions are simlar: when should I drink it and is it valuable? I used to have two, but I drunk the other around a year ago and it tasted great (in my opinion).

These are both the oldest bottles I possess, and they look great in my rack! The idea of opening one seems like sacrilege. Of course I don't want to leave them too long, only to find that they are over the hill (if they aren't already).

Thanks again and greetings to you all from a surprisingly sunny London!

[Drew]

BlondeBuffoon, welcome and I love London. We visited several years ago and vowed to return. We did have a wild time one night in a pub near Scotland Yard with the most beautiful interior and etched glass windows (maybe the Prince something pub?) with one of your off duty constables and the most wonderful fish and chips in a restaurant in the Banking District near The Altruist Champagne Bar, again the name escapes me...I remember having to enter and descend many steps to get to the restaurant.
A check with WWW.winesearcher.com showed that Nickolls and Perks wine shop in Stourbridge has a bottle of the Tour de Mons for $36, and yes '66 was an exceptional vintage. Others on this board will speak to the drinkability and the producer.

Drew

[Randy Caparoso]

Alas, La Tour de Mons is usually a Bordeaux for drinking within the first 10 years, if not the first 5. So your '66 most likely is more likely to be far, far over the hill, I'm sorry to say. Open it before your next good meal, but make sure you have a backup.