TN: 1943 Bordeaux

1943 Leoville Poyferre - St Julien, Bordeaux, France.

I have learnt over the years that patience and luck are sizeable factors in life, and wine is no exception. You can’t always find the bottle of wine that you want. Sometimes you come across bottles of wine without looking for them, and thoughts cross through your mind as to whether to buy them. Have you really found this bottle or has this bottle found you?

In reading about older vintages of wine from France between 1939 and 1945, the year of 1943 is considered by some experts to be the best. For example, Michael Broadbent mentions this in his book ‘Vintage Wine’ (page 42, published in 2002):
"1943 ***. The best of the wartime vintages. Wines with richness and fruit but short, the best still drinking well. "

To find a wine in good condition from 1943 is not easy. I had looked for years and then this bottle came up. To think of what was happening in France, Europe and the rest of the world at this traumatic time for world peace is humbling in the extreme.

I opened this brown glass bottle to share with my brother. According to the label, it was bottled by 'H. Godfroid, Rue de Rome, 27, Verviers." Stood up for 24 hours. The cork proved fragile and I only managed to extract part of it. This left me with little choice but to carefully decant the wine into a rectangular decanter with a stopper to minimise air contact. I need not have worried. A deep dull strawberry red with the terracotta rim. Sniffing my glass brings a broad smile to my face. Mild cooked meats and dry forest floor waft into my nose. No hint of oxidation whatsoever. The initial mouthfeel is silky smooth with a hint of green pepper. It is savoury, fresh, medium bodied and more than alive. Its best years are behind it, but that is not the point for me. It is drinkable and I raised a toast to those individuals who made this treasure for me to enjoy under probably the most difficult time of their life. I am a lucky man.

Thank you for posting this Nicos. I would have a complicated set of emotions opening such a wine frm the occupation years.

Nicos,
I have had the same wine, with exactly the same label, and bottled by the same person.

Here is what I wrote :

Chateau Léoville-Poyferré Saint-Julien 1943, charmeur, doucereux, riche, mâchu. C’est un vin de très grand plaisir, avec, en fond de palais, un léger coulis de fruit rouge.

Note : as it is my birth, I have drunk 103 bottles of the millesime 1943.

Nicos, you need to invest in or have someone gift you a Durand to open these old bottles.

Francois, thank you for your note and photos. You share a birth year with Sir Mick Jagger of The Rolling Stones.

Hello Paul, I have a Durand and use it to open these old bottles.

My birth year too!! Lovely notes and thoughts Nicos.

… and late George Harrison of The Beatles ! [cheers.gif]

Sorry – off topic – but I wonder why Jagger and the Rolling Stones could´t get proper musicians after all the decades of practice. Watch a Live Show of the band on Youtube and you know what I mean. I am pretty sure this 1943 Bordeaux is still better as a wine as the 1943 born Jagger is a singer and the rest of the band instrumentalists.

“I can’t get no satisfaction?”

[wink.gif] [wink.gif] [wink.gif]

I thought the early to mid 70s live Stones performances were really good. Get yet yayas out.

Is it correct to assume you have a musical background?
Perhaps you are a music teacher, or professional musician?
You are in a band? Have made albums, toured etc?
If not, I’d humbly suggest you stick to wine, as you have absolutely no idea what you are talking about;)

I agree fully that the intonation (ability to find the exact pitch of a note) of Mick Jagger isn´t the very best - no comparison to The Beatles, especially Paul McCartney, but in this genre it´s (obviously) more about personality and character than about musical ability …

However: Mick and Keith (Richards) have written a couple of really nice songs - and YES, Get yer ya ya´s Out is a highlioght in the 70ies …

Thanks for the prose on a beautiful wine Nicos. Another lovely old bottle!

As for the Stones, they rock! Seeing Sinatra in the early 80’s reminded me that as we age, our skills and instruments (Jagger’s voice) are not how they were in our youth. As Nicos put it about this wine, “best years are behind it, but that is not the point for me”.


[cheers.gif]

Beggars Banquet
Let It Bleed
Exile on Main Street
Sticky Fingers

Masterpieces. Each one.

What a treat Nicos. I have had multiple bottles of the 1943 Calon-Segur, every one of them has been splendid. Brane-Cantenac is also a very good '43 and good bottles of La Tache and DRC GE are also excellent.

Best Regards
Jeremy

Thank you Mark.

Hello Jeremy, thanks for your feedback and insights into this rare vintage.

Nicos,

sorry again for the thread drift.

Nicos,
Concerning 1943, La Tâche and Richebourg DRC were fantastic experiences. It is a very imposing year for DRC.
Recently drunk 1943 Salon is my greatest Salon.
And 1943 Yquem is extremely solid and large.

1943 is truly great

The 1943 Yquem I had in 1973 was quite a nice surprise. I assumed from the green glass and the fact that it was made during in the midst of WWII that it would be merely a curiosity. But, after 30 years, it was still quite fruity with just a touch of nuttiness setting in. (In that respect it was a lot like me, who was also 30 that year.)