6 bottles per lot
Details
Chteau Lafite-Rothschild--Vintage 1961
Pauillac, 1er cru class. Chteau-bottled
Lot 70 levels: four upper, one mid/upper and one mid-shoulder. Lot 71 levels: five base of neck, two top, three just below top and two upper-shoulder
Tasting note: I was well into my Christie's career when I first tasted '61 Lafite: dry, refined, long and elegant in 1975. Since when, over two dozen notes: fragrance is the operative word, but Lafite often takes time to open up, which is why detractors compare it unfavourably with the more immediately dramatic Mouton, the deeply impressive Latour, the obvious fleshy delights of Petrus and the instntly forthcoming great Napa Cabernet Sauvignons.
I confess that I decant old and fine wines timidly, tending to do so late, preferring to allow the wine to develop with the air in the glass. But for once, as host at a Bordeaux Club dinner in April 1984, after standing the bottle for several days I decanted it at 6.50 pm into an open-topped carafe. The nose at this stage had a rich, slightly earthy medicinal fragrance. It was served at 8.30 and by 9 o'clock the bouquet had blossomed fabulously. By 9.50 it was fully opened out, spicy, biscuity, retaining incredible intensity in the glass for another hour. On the palate it was dry, medium full-bodied, rich, very flavoury, with good acidity, length and aftertaste. Like the nose, the flavour seemed sweeter and 'warmer', sheer perfection after time in glass. ***** M.B.
6 bottles per lot
Pauillac, 1er cru class. Chteau-bottled
Lot 70 levels: four upper, one mid/upper and one mid-shoulder. Lot 71 levels: five base of neck, two top, three just below top and two upper-shoulder
Tasting note: I was well into my Christie's career when I first tasted '61 Lafite: dry, refined, long and elegant in 1975. Since when, over two dozen notes: fragrance is the operative word, but Lafite often takes time to open up, which is why detractors compare it unfavourably with the more immediately dramatic Mouton, the deeply impressive Latour, the obvious fleshy delights of Petrus and the instntly forthcoming great Napa Cabernet Sauvignons.
I confess that I decant old and fine wines timidly, tending to do so late, preferring to allow the wine to develop with the air in the glass. But for once, as host at a Bordeaux Club dinner in April 1984, after standing the bottle for several days I decanted it at 6.50 pm into an open-topped carafe. The nose at this stage had a rich, slightly earthy medicinal fragrance. It was served at 8.30 and by 9 o'clock the bouquet had blossomed fabulously. By 9.50 it was fully opened out, spicy, biscuity, retaining incredible intensity in the glass for another hour. On the palate it was dry, medium full-bodied, rich, very flavoury, with good acidity, length and aftertaste. Like the nose, the flavour seemed sweeter and 'warmer', sheer perfection after time in glass. ***** M.B.
6 bottles per lot