Posted from CellarTracker
Thanks for the note…that’s truly a large format! I’ve had mixed experiences with the Borgogno wines, unrelated to bottle condition I think (all have been in great shape). Surprisingly enough the most youthful and powerful Borgogno I have had is the 1947.
Used to drink a lot of this vintage in Sydney, The wine shop on Pyrmont Bridge Road(just down the road from the dog racing track) used to carry a lot of back vintages for not a lot of money. I believe one of the family members was the importer. 1971 seemed to be the most consistent.
The barbaresco from the same year is incredible.
I’ve had the 71 of this a number of times as well…in my experience, if the cork is sound, the bottle has been standing long enough to let the sediment settle, and the wine gets some air and decanted off the sediment well ahead of dinner…it’s always been a great drink!
The '47 is remarkable Rob. Probably the best Borgogno I have had. The '64 is special too.
I’ve not had the ‘64, but I enjoyed the ‘61 and really liked the ‘47. While they were fun to try, I’ve not really been that impressed with most of the other older vintages I’ve tasted.
I’ve had the '47 once (wife’s birth year), and agree it’s a great bottle. One more left…
Not to hijack this very nice thread, but I would like to contribute notes from the two 1971s enjoyed in preparation for my lovely wife’s upcoming 49th, if I may. I have had great success with this vintage (wine- and spouse-wise!) and hope to sustain that heading into her 50th, for which I have been assembling a bevy of bottles from that year.
Jonathan
1971 Marchesi di Barolo Barolo Riserva Speciale
Stood up for ten days. A Durand allowed for clean extraction of the firm cork, with no signs of seepage. Slo-ox’ed for 6 hours, then monitored through the evening. Muted aromas of pastille and herbs. Lively on the palate, and gained intensity with air. The acid was too prominent at first, but with time – and especially, with food – the wine came into very nice balance, with tart red berry and floral notes, some earthiness and a touch of rose oil. The fine sediment was barely noticeable. While clearly not at peak, my sense is that the wine has plateaued at a lovely place and will remain as such indefinitely.
1971 Château Haut-Bailly
Stood up for two days. The cork was very soft, and a small end-piece crumbled when the rest was extracted. Slo-ox’ed for six hours. This is a formidable wine, with the tertiary characteristics I look for in a Graves of this pedigree: cigar ash, leather and sous-bois, in harmony with the gentle framboise flavors. Just enough acidity to provide a touch of energy which made things very interesting. The wine held firm for 3 hours or so, just nipping the Barolo, and I have a 1/3 of the bottle left to check in on tomorrow.
Good luck with that…I’m sure it’ll all be great!
Isn’t it the case that there are two different versions of these old Borgognos, original and reconditioned, that are distinguished by the color of their capsules?
Yes, the original red-capsuled bottles tend to be preferred over the reconditioned black-capsuled bottles from what I have been able to gather from posts on these wines.