1 bottle per lot
Details
Recently removed from excellent cellarage
Château Mouton-Rothschild--Vintage 1945
Pauillac, 1er cru classé. Château-bottled
Lightly bin-soiled label. Level upper-shoulder. Bottle number 62076
Tasting note: Baron Philippe was back in time for the harvest. His label appropriately headed L'Année de la Victoire. In the great but small vintage he produced 151,744 bottles (and halves), 2091 magnums and just 116 grands formats (which embraces double magnums, jeroboams and impériales). I originally coined the phrase 'a Churchill of a wine', meaning larger than life, immediately recognisable, complex, endlessly fascinating, unforgettable. The only (1945) first growth I tasted in its (relative) youth. In July 1954 I wrote 'dark, deep, (yet) translucent; amazing nose. Quite unlike any other claret, spicy, Indian mango chutney(!). Loaded with tannin, acidity and all the good things. Full and flavoury'. Apart from the chutney, it still applies. The first thing to notice is its extraordinary colour. I have on more than one occasion recognised the wine by this alone. And its bouquet is equally distinctive, in fact one of the most astonishing smells ever to emerge from grapes grown out of doors. The power and spiciness surges out of the glass like a sudden eruption of Mount Etna: cinnamon, eucalyptus, ginger, 'Friars Balsam' (noted once!). Impossible to describe but inimitable, incomparable, and because of this and its appearance, several times 'guessed' blind. There is simply no other wine like it. Its taste is a component of smell, its fragranceis reflected on the palate. Still lovely, still vivacious. Seemingly tireless - indeed another half century anticipated. Last tasted blind, and immediately recognised, at Wilfred Jaeger's mountain-top late lunch, June 2001 ****** (6 stars) Michael Broadbent, Vintage Wine
1 bottle per lot
Château Mouton-Rothschild--Vintage 1945
Pauillac, 1er cru classé. Château-bottled
Lightly bin-soiled label. Level upper-shoulder. Bottle number 62076
Tasting note: Baron Philippe was back in time for the harvest. His label appropriately headed L'Année de la Victoire. In the great but small vintage he produced 151,744 bottles (and halves), 2091 magnums and just 116 grands formats (which embraces double magnums, jeroboams and impériales). I originally coined the phrase 'a Churchill of a wine', meaning larger than life, immediately recognisable, complex, endlessly fascinating, unforgettable. The only (1945) first growth I tasted in its (relative) youth. In July 1954 I wrote 'dark, deep, (yet) translucent; amazing nose. Quite unlike any other claret, spicy, Indian mango chutney(!). Loaded with tannin, acidity and all the good things. Full and flavoury'. Apart from the chutney, it still applies. The first thing to notice is its extraordinary colour. I have on more than one occasion recognised the wine by this alone. And its bouquet is equally distinctive, in fact one of the most astonishing smells ever to emerge from grapes grown out of doors. The power and spiciness surges out of the glass like a sudden eruption of Mount Etna: cinnamon, eucalyptus, ginger, 'Friars Balsam' (noted once!). Impossible to describe but inimitable, incomparable, and because of this and its appearance, several times 'guessed' blind. There is simply no other wine like it. Its taste is a component of smell, its fragranceis reflected on the palate. Still lovely, still vivacious. Seemingly tireless - indeed another half century anticipated. Last tasted blind, and immediately recognised, at Wilfred Jaeger's mountain-top late lunch, June 2001 ****** (6 stars) Michael Broadbent, Vintage Wine
1 bottle per lot
Special notice
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