1947 Chateau Lamargelle: St Estephe, Bordeaux
With a dusting of snow on the ground in London, I fancied a fully mature red with Sunday luncheon. I had stood this bottle 24 hours earlier. I had been looking forward to trying this bottle for a while, so was naturally excited. It is not very often that I find the opportunity to drink, not just taste, a wine such as this from a legendary vintage.
The full level was mid shoulder, not usual for a wine this age. Despite my efforts with my Durand, the bottom part of the cork crumbles into the bottle. I took a quick decision to decant the bottle into a clean rectangular decanter used for spirits to minimise oxygen exposure. The first thing I notice is the relatively dark colour, a deep strawberry red with a brick rim. The nose gives me subtle aromas of cooked meats and spices, all intermingled effortlessly. I find a hint of mint, or it is my imagination? The mouthfeel is velvet smooth, dry, savoury. The length is respectable, my smile is broad. Luck was on my side today as with bottles of this age, you just don’t know. The David Bowie RIP vintage delivers yet again, even after all these years.
