1973 Roumier

I’m looking for some advice on a possible purchase, namely a 1973 Roumier Morey St. Denis 1er Cru Clos de La Bussière. Not a well-regarded vintage, I know. The main attraction is that it would be a birthday wine for someone special. The bottle was offered at a charity auction with a minimum bid of $150. There were no takers. The bottle looks well kept with a good fill.

No notes on Cellar Tracker. These were the pre-Christophe days for Roumier, but I believe they were still making pretty solid wines. Anyone have any experience, if not with this particular wine, with 1973 for Roumier in general? Worth taking a chance? I can probably make them an offer…

Boris, I have had a couple of good Dujac 73’s from Morey. At $150 I’d be all over that Roumier like a cheap suit.

Buy. The Bonnes Mares drink in 2013 was an incredibly good surprise.

Buy. The Bonnes Mares drunk in 2013 was an incredibly good surprise.

You can say that again again.

Good gamble at the price, I’d say.See topic below on 1973. Of course, it was a “bad” vintage, but…I distinctly remember going throug a case of Ampeau reds (I think Volnay; might have been Savigny) in the mid-90s, and they were enjoyable and fine. (And, my theory is that most, especially made before the transformation from “barnyard” to laboratory after 1983, they will “last” forever. At the very least, it will be interesting.

Please report back.

making pretty solid wines pre-Christophe? I’d say so–dad made some of the greatest of the Vogue wines, too. Jump on that bottle or tell me how to get it…

Only some very, very tangential commentary here. The only '73 Burgundy I’ve had was a Rousseau (Clos de la Roche? Charmes Chambertin?) over 15 years ago which was very good though perhaps on the downslope.

Alain, I don’t think that’s accurate. Jean-Marie’s brother, Alain did that. J-M continued the family estate their father, Georges, started. The vines remained in a family corporation (though Christophe and his mother owned some independently) until Alain’s family took their share out. Christophe makes wines from both sides of his family’s holdings…and some others, too. Quite complicated. But…JM was not at Vogue.

They offered me the bottle for $140 and based on all the positive vibes above, I took it. Thanks for all the input, I will report back (though I am saving it for a birthday).

Finally drank this for a dear friend’s birthday. Pellucid ruby colour shows through the clear glass bottle. Lots of gunk between the capsule and cork, but wiped it down and got it out in one piece with my trusty Durand. Scent of autumn leaves and earth and fading remnants of the last of summer’s berries. Leafy sous-bois character carries through on the palate, along with lightly sweet slightly under ripe red berries. Tannins have been completely absorbed, yet some form of textural scaffolding remains. Delicate, but showed absolutely no signs of fading at any point and stood up to all the food. A lovely, haunting experience. So glad I took a chance on this.

thanks for the followup note. Great thread.

Thanks for reporting "back. So few ever do…and it makes it so much more interesting of a thread.

Thanks for the follow-up and glad it worked out in your favor!

Boris,

What a great TN. Enjoyed reading it and experiencing the wine vicariously.

Cheers,
Doug

Without this forum doing what it does so well - i.e. enabling purchases - I probably never would have taken a chance on this bottle. And been reminded, once again, that producer/site so often trumps vintage. Thanks folks.

+1


Just read the rest of this thread. Haunting is a good word for old wine. And that’s one of my favorite aspects of wine is the ability to transcend time and take you away. I’m happy for you that it all worked out.