1947 Chateau Malescot St -Exupery (Margaux, Bordeaux, France). RIP Michael Broadbent.
The well renown wine critic Michael Broadbent passed away on 17 March 2020 at the age of 92 years old. I had the privilege of meeting him on a number of occasions, both in London and Seattle. The highlight for me was sitting next to him in May 2003 in Seattle for lunch, talking to him about Port, wine and life. This was thanks to my close friend Roy Hersh, who organised an incredible and unforgettable weekend to remember. That event still remains the greatest Port event of my life and I doubt that it can ever be bettered. I wanted to open a mature old bottle of red to pair with dinner in honour of Mr Broadbent, so I chose this wine. Mr Broadbent would have been 20 years old in 1947 when the grapes for this wine were picked, which was about the age that I became quite interested in wine.
In 1947, France and the rest of the world was still recovering from the devastation of World War 2. This particular olive green glass bottle was imported by the wine merchants F.J.Drehmanns & Zonen (Roermond, Netherlands). It probably would have been brought to the Netherlands in oak barrel and bottles by the wine merchant. The original cork came out in one piece. When I poured the wine, the colour momentarily shocked me. Impenetrable deep plum red, this looked like a cross between Port and PX sherry, with some bricking at the rim. The initial nose had a hint of oxidation, but this blew off after 10 minutes. Sweet raisins and a hint of fine Italian balsamic vinegar were the main smells. The mouthfeel was smooth, sweet and rich, zero tannins it hard edged. Full mature, probably slightly past its peak. Michael would have approved.
