1973 Domaine Jaboulet-Vercherre Clos De Vougeot

[Rebelrona]

I am wondering if anyone out there knows of this wine, winery or vintage. It's an estate bottle from the Cote D'Or region of France. Is it worth anything? If so what?

I'm just getting into collecting wine and was given this as a gift.

[wondersofwine]

Welcome to the wine board. Hope to hear from you again as you explore the wine world.
Clos du Vougeot is a Grand Cru Burgundy (highest classification in Burgundy above Premier Cru or village wines, etc.) However I looked up 1973 on a vintage chart and it was listed as below average. Many Burgundies start to fade after 15-20 years. A grand cru might still be enjoyable if it was a good vintage year--not so sure about one from a below average year. I also am not familiar with the producer which is an important indicator of quality in Burgundy wines. (There is a Jaboulet firm associated mainly with Rhone wines and this may be a part of that family.) The fact that it is a Grand Cru is impressive. The vintage is not. It probably should be opened soon with a backup bottle if this is over-the-hill.

[This message has been edited by wondersofwine (edited 12-22-2005).]

[winoweenie]

WOW is rite on. Open this and hopefully you have something drinkable. WW

[wdonovan]

Or..... just keep it eternally to grace your cellars. That's probably what I'd do rather than risk pouring a possibly over-the-hill bottle out. There's a lot off bottles in a lot of collections that are way past drinkability and there's nothing wrong with that. Alas, I do have a weakness for Clos De Vougeot. I stood outside the gate to J. Grivot and shot a picture of the Chateau last May. It was a religious experience. Anyway, just a little food for thought.

[Thomas]

"It was a religious experience."

Hear, hear--and so are the wines, usually.

[winoweenie]

WD I think your assessment of over-the-hill bottles is extremely simplistic. The person (collector) who keeps bad bottles are hoarders, not wine drinkers. I pride myself on the fact that I don't own one bottle that is vinegar. If I find myself with a wine I feel is on the downward spiral I either drink it or give it to friends and family. It's criminal IMHO to let great wine go bad. To own a bottle just to have a label is horribly possessive. I've managed to juggle a fairly large collection by drinking, sharing, and documentating. WW

[Kcwhippet]

Hey, ww - I have two Bordeaux - one from 1898 and one from 1900. My daughter (not CG) found them in her mother-in-law's back yard shed. They were in the shed (in New Hampshire) for about 30 years and not sure where before. I'm sure they're total vinegar, or worse, but I think I'll keep them. However, I'm willing to give them up if you're throwing a party and need a couple extra bottles to put in the mix.

[Bucko]

Bottles can be great for laughs as well. I had a well-meaning patient bring me a bottle she found at her parents house. It had to be good, because it was in the basement next to the heater, so she knew it never froze. The wine? A 1978 Round Hill Napa Valley Gamay. I still have it and bring it out on occasion as a centerpiece for unsuspecting victims. [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/biggrin.gif[/img]

[wdonovan]

KC Drink them up right now or suffer the wrath of WW! <That's a LOL>

WW I wasn't condoning intentionally making vinegar out of a great bottle of wine to "always have it". I was basing my advice on the (calculated) 70% chance that this 33 year old, way, way off year was already vinegar. Were it my bottle and I thought I had those odds, I'd see no purpose in opening it just to pour it out and be left with an empty bottle. <Oh yeah, the "calculated" thing was a LOL too>. BTW I am in 100% (also calculated) agreement with you about enjoying the wine rather than collecting the bottle. I too have bottles that I must drink before their demise, knowing full well that they are irreplaceable.

[winoweenie]

Maybe my comments weren't expressed with the proper degree of fore-thought.What I meant was the collector who prizes the possession of a label over drinking the wine in its' proper time frame has ruined a great liquid. Fer-gosh-sakes, I've got bottles that I've lost in the cellar that are long-gone that I too show to my buddies but I admit I made the error accidentaly, not purposefully. Case in point, last month I found a bottle of 1978 Carneros Creek Pinot. When released this was killer juice, but fell apart after a year in bottle because of contaminated bottling lines. Also it joins a bottle of 1979 La Fluer Nardon St. Emilion that fell thru the cracks. Both are available for a tasting party iffn' you'll pay the UPS. We're all in agreement just using different verbage. WW [img]http://www.wines.com/ubb2/wink.gif[/img]

[This message has been edited by winoweenie (edited 12-23-2005).]

[wdonovan]

ww,
I DO understand your emotions about this subject. Do you think my assessment of the 73 Cl d Vougeot is in line? My thoughts were that the wine was probably already lost, why lose the bottle as well.

[winoweenie]

Abso-tivi-loutely! WW