expensive wines

[tomstevenson]

During this period it was customary for those who could afford it to drink the finest clarets, burgundies, ports, madeiras and sauternes when they were 20 years old or thereabouts, and vintage sherry (definitely a thing of the past) at twice that age. The very best and most expensive wines in those days would have included the following chateaux in Bordeaux: Lafite, Latour and Margaux (1847 was the best closest to 20 years old, but really too young, so 1844 would be my choice); Yquem of course for sauternes (you'll have to go with 1847, since this was the greatest vintage between 1811 and 1921); Chambertin was THE burgundy, especially amongst European royalty and aristocracy (unless someone on the Board can research an older vintage, the best I can do off the top of my head for Chambertin is 1846). More often than not Sherry was referred to as just that, without any indication of producer, on menus of those days and 1821 would be spot-on for a truly great 40 year old vintage sherry. Almost any port from the great 1840 vintage (Croft, Taylor's, Warres etc).