1 double-magnum per lot
Details
SUPERB CLARET AND YQUEM, INCLUDING A DOUBLE MAGNUM OF LAFITE 1870 AND 1900 FIRST-GROWTHS
Lying at Christie's
Chteau Lafite-Rothschild--Vintage 1870
Pauillac, 1er cru class. Chteau-bottled
Two part moulded bottle. Recorked by the Chteau in 1993. Recent Chteau capsule, worn. Bin-soiled label, slightly faded. Level base of neck
Tasting note: Anyone thinking Lafite produces only comparativey pale, light, delicate and feminine wines has never heard of, let alone tasted, the Lafite blockbuster of all time. I have 13 notes. The most spectacularly good one of the (40) magnums from Glamis Castle. Bottled by Coningham, it had been bought by the 13th Earl of Strathmore, who found it tannic and tough like red ink. Indeed it took 50 years to come round, according to Andr Simon who drank it in 1920. This extraordinary stock had remained untouched until the great Glamis Castle sale at Christie's in 1971. One was opened at a dinner at Christie's attended by a dozen or so of Britain's best-known claret experts. It proved to be faultless. Another, bottled by Cruse and tasted in 1980, had just survived a poor, low-shoulder level. More recently, a single bottle, recorked, was similarly perfect at Flatt's Lafite tasting: its appearance still deep, fine and rich; nose rather cheesy and sweaty when first poured, but the bouquet rapidly unfurled and improved for well over an hour in the glass. Still a touch of sweetness, still full-bodied, rich, chewy and still tannic. Top marks. M.B.
1 double-magnum per lot
Lying at Christie's
Chteau Lafite-Rothschild--Vintage 1870
Pauillac, 1er cru class. Chteau-bottled
Two part moulded bottle. Recorked by the Chteau in 1993. Recent Chteau capsule, worn. Bin-soiled label, slightly faded. Level base of neck
Tasting note: Anyone thinking Lafite produces only comparativey pale, light, delicate and feminine wines has never heard of, let alone tasted, the Lafite blockbuster of all time. I have 13 notes. The most spectacularly good one of the (40) magnums from Glamis Castle. Bottled by Coningham, it had been bought by the 13th Earl of Strathmore, who found it tannic and tough like red ink. Indeed it took 50 years to come round, according to Andr Simon who drank it in 1920. This extraordinary stock had remained untouched until the great Glamis Castle sale at Christie's in 1971. One was opened at a dinner at Christie's attended by a dozen or so of Britain's best-known claret experts. It proved to be faultless. Another, bottled by Cruse and tasted in 1980, had just survived a poor, low-shoulder level. More recently, a single bottle, recorked, was similarly perfect at Flatt's Lafite tasting: its appearance still deep, fine and rich; nose rather cheesy and sweaty when first poured, but the bouquet rapidly unfurled and improved for well over an hour in the glass. Still a touch of sweetness, still full-bodied, rich, chewy and still tannic. Top marks. M.B.
1 double-magnum per lot