1969

[ByteMail]

I'm new to this group. I originally just read what was presented on the first screen. On going back a little farther, I noticed some rather less than wonderful comments on the 69's. I just inherited my father's cellar, and have several cases of 69's. Guess I should go ahead and taste them and hope for the best, huh?

PS. I have a couple of 29's. A Leoville Barton and a Laburthe Brivazac. Also a 67 Yquiem and a 47 Pichon Longueville. Any comments???

[Drew]

Bytemail, can I come to your house and sample the 67' D'Yquem? Here's what WS says:

From one of the 20th century's celebrated vintages for Yquem, this bottle stands up to all the hype--unforgettable for its purity, elegance, harmony, its "total" everything. Powerful, yet it seems weightless on the palate, almost defying gravity as it tangos around with its vanilla, peach and apricot flavors. Seamless, nearly endless finish. Easy to understand its reputation as the greatest Yquem of the last 35 years.--Yquem vertical.Drink now through 2018. 100 points.
That's the good news. The bad news is that 1947 was not a good year for your Pichon-Longueville. Try it and have a back-up handy.
Pick a special occasion, open and share your tasting notes with us for both.

Drew

[hotwine]

But hold that Yquem! It should be a dark golden color by now. Make sure the ullage is still good (the space between the wine's surface and the bottom of the cork), and there is no leakage around the cork. It wouldn't be a bad idea to take it to a pro and have him re-cork it. Then place it back in the rack and let it rest, rotating the bottle gently 180 degrees every six months.
(I lost a 1980 a couple of years ago, due to leakage around the cork. It broke my heart!)

[This message has been edited by hotwine (edited 01-07-2001).]