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:
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The People’s Republic of China is proclaimed under Mao Tse Tung.
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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.
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NATO was established.
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The Federal Republic of Germany was officially established.
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The Prime Minister of the UK was Clement Attlee and the President of the USA was Harry S. Truman.
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The world’s first commercially available computer The Ferranti Mark 1 is released
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First 45 rpm Vinyl Record are introduced.
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US actors Meryl Streep and Richard Gere were born.
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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!