1949 Findlater Mackie Todd & Co: Johannisberger Erntebringer Riesling (Rheingau, Germany).

TN: 1949 Findlater Mackie Todd & Co: Johannisberger Erntebringer Riesling (Rheingau, Germany).

I chose this ultra rare bottle in excellent condition to share on New Years Eve 2018. Did I buy this bottle on release? Of course not! It’s virtually 70 years old! The world was a very different place in 1949. Here are just a few reminders of what happened in 1949:

• The People’s Republic of China is proclaimed under Mao Tse Tung.

• George Orwell’s book ‘Nineteen Eighty-Four’ is published. Considered to be one of the most influential novels written during the twentieth century, the story focused on a futuristic totalitarian state that set out to control the thoughts of its citizens and rewrite history.

• NATO was established.

• The Federal Republic of Germany was officially established.

• The Prime Minister of the UK was Clement Attlee and the President of the USA was Harry S. Truman.

• The world’s first commercially available computer The Ferranti Mark 1 is released

• First 45 rpm Vinyl Record are introduced.

• US actors Meryl Streep and Richard Gere were born.

• Bruce Springsteen (US musician) was born on September 23rd.

This wine was bought by a London wine merchant called Findlater Mackie Todd & Co. Ltd, London W1. The label says that they were appointed as a seller to “The late King George VI.” Why can’t wine merchants use decorative labels like this anymore? The dense short cork came out in one piece using my trusty Durand. A deep amber colour with a light gold rim. The nose reminds me of dried fruit like peaches and apricots, with plums and fresh green walnuts. The mouthfeel is soft and dry, with yellow plum and a ripe lime tangy length. The gentle acidity is in the background and keeps the flavours moving nicely along my tastebuds. A very pleasurable wine, this paired excellently with smoked and spicy salmon appetisers. Happy New Year!

Happy New Year Nicos! Thank you for another great write-up on a such a rarity. I had almost forgotten about your fabulous TN’s.

What a lovely tasting note. This captures part of what I love about wine – when I open an old bottle I try to remember where I was that year (or when I bought it if applicable) and what else was happening in the world. One of my favorite side by side tastings was a 1989 South African Cab with a 1994 Cab (different wineries). The 1989 was austere and bitter – the 94 was singing. 1989 was during the last gasps of apartheid; 1994 was the year Mandela was elected. Of course 1989 had a lot of other things going on as well in the world! Thanks again for the lovely note, and a very happy new year to you.

Mark, Happy New Year! Thank you very much for your kind words.

Ron, I really appreciate your reply. Happy New Year to you too.