1 bottle per lot
Details
Château Lafite-Rothschild--Vintage 1865
Pauillac, 1er cru classé
Recorked at the Château in 1986. Level top-shoulder
Tasting Note: First encountered in the cellars at Bodorgan, the seat of the Meyrick family in Anglesey, North Wales: 104 bottles not moved since binned, capsules embossed 'Lafite' but unbranded cork. Levels, and overall condition, perfect (just five 'slightly ullaged'). First tasted in the cellar: medium pale but lovely colour; bouquet wholesome but fading; drying out and thinning though very much alive (one of the 'slightly ullaged' bottles - halfway down the neck! - was sweeter but slightly more acidic). Two other notes, one at a pre-sale tasting. Lafite, a bottle from Lord Rosebery's cellar at Overton's tasting in 1979: amazingly youthful, good, rich. Perfectly balanced. At Rodenstock's in 1995: embossed glass 'lozenge' with name if wine on the shoulder of bottle, 'R. Galos' on label. Alas nose like blancmange, medicinal, tinny. Volatile, oxidised with grubby aftertaste. Most recently, a bottle recorked at the château in 1980: medium-dry, lovely colour, amber rim; showing its age and slightly malty at first but after an hour it had got its 'second wind'. Dry, a hefty style, very tannic. Very impressive. Last noted at Jaeger's tasting, June 2001. At best ***** M.B.
1 bottle per lot
Pauillac, 1er cru classé
Recorked at the Château in 1986. Level top-shoulder
Tasting Note: First encountered in the cellars at Bodorgan, the seat of the Meyrick family in Anglesey, North Wales: 104 bottles not moved since binned, capsules embossed 'Lafite' but unbranded cork. Levels, and overall condition, perfect (just five 'slightly ullaged'). First tasted in the cellar: medium pale but lovely colour; bouquet wholesome but fading; drying out and thinning though very much alive (one of the 'slightly ullaged' bottles - halfway down the neck! - was sweeter but slightly more acidic). Two other notes, one at a pre-sale tasting. Lafite, a bottle from Lord Rosebery's cellar at Overton's tasting in 1979: amazingly youthful, good, rich. Perfectly balanced. At Rodenstock's in 1995: embossed glass 'lozenge' with name if wine on the shoulder of bottle, 'R. Galos' on label. Alas nose like blancmange, medicinal, tinny. Volatile, oxidised with grubby aftertaste. Most recently, a bottle recorked at the château in 1980: medium-dry, lovely colour, amber rim; showing its age and slightly malty at first but after an hour it had got its 'second wind'. Dry, a hefty style, very tannic. Very impressive. Last noted at Jaeger's tasting, June 2001. At best ***** M.B.
1 bottle per lot
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