The only one I see available in USA on winesearcher for less than the port is a 1957 Chateau de Barbe with a low shoulder fill. Not sure I’d have taken a chance on that.
1st point to consider: Don´t buy 1957s in 2017 ! Buy them in 2016/2015/2014 … or even earlier … > >
That would be ideal, but tricky without a Delorean handy.
If you have some insight you can find really nice and satisfying bottles now and then: 1er cru Burgundy, Rhones, German Rieslings … Barolo … sure, if you look just for the “stars” it´s going to be expensive …
You get a lot of crap too. For a gift you want low-risk.
The Search has slowed down, but I believe I will pull the trigger on the Rivesaltes Domaine La Sobilane Or Cazes knowing they are still drinkable. If it was not a gift and was for me I would take a risk for the borgogno Barolo but since it is a gift I would feel awful if it tasted bad! I’ll be sure to continue keeping everyone updated with the process.
You will only know if something is crap or not after tasting … and I already said: it depends on your insight …
bottles with low fill, cloudy colour, seepage, from lesser Appellations or minor terroir etc. are always risky …
Generally I´d say that the risk is usually higher with bottles of high reputation: 1st it might be a fake, 2nd the bottle may have travelled (sold, re-sold) more than one with lesser fame …
A corked bottle would be the only theoretical issue with a recently bottled 1957 Colheita from a reputable producer. The same goes for a Rivesaltes Ambré
I ordered the bottle this morning “again” after having some troubles the other night because of the invoicing country was USA and this was not an option on there dropdown menu. after sending an email translated by google they responded a day later and we solved the issue. the site i got it from was https://www.comptoirdesmillesimes.com/ hopefully the box does not show up wet… it happened a few months ago when i ordered Grappa from Italy luckily they replaced it! thanks again all for the suggestions!
Gerhard, those Rivesaltes are bottled recently (2010-2011 I think) after spending decades in oak. They were released to a couple Bordeaux wine merchants after Philippe Gayral bought up a ton of aging barreled stocks if memory serves.
Here’s a (probably more accurate) run down from JR
Well, I think it´s a safe bet reg. drinkability … and if you have faith into origin and vintage, ok …
I´m not so sure that every old Rivesaltes is really from the (single) vintage printed on the label … having had two different side by side - and the differences were tiny (actually more like a solera than a vintage) … but if one doesn´t care … no problem.
I mean you could say that about any library release wine with poor record keeping… opening a '33 ch Mosse in a couple hours… those wines are like crack for me.
Over the years I have bought wines from milestones in my life because many better wines out there than wines made in 1957. Fortunately my wife was born in 1959 and my brother in 1961. I was in first grade in 1963 for ports, bar mitzvahed in 1970, etc. Fortunately I graduated medical school a year early in 1982 for Bordeaux.
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luckily they replaced it! thanks again all for the suggestions!![[welldone.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/f/fc9709a841aa9379fd892a9cf0b535b05f473b86.gif "[welldone.gif]"){kind=small}
I was in first grade in 1963 for ports, bar mitzvahed in 1970, etc. Fortunately I graduated medical school a year early in 1982 for Bordeaux. 