I’ve always had a fascination with the 1961 vintage in Bordeaux. Critics of the day such as Michael Broadbent almost universally declared it a 5 star vintage and a leading candidate for Vintage of the Century and one that could age very well. But at age 61 how many could still be alive? I decided to accumulate enough specimens to get a feel for them and put them to the test even though I was missing a few potential Right Bank superstars.
Champagne
2009 Louis Roederer Champagne Cristal Brut - France, Champagne
This is the sunny and friendly vintage of Cristal to drink while you are waiting for your ‘08s and ‘12s to grow up. Butter, cream, Meyer lemon and nectarine make for a tasty cocktail. The mousse is relatively restrained and the finish is modest so I’m not sure about its lifespan but there’s plenty to enjoy now. (93 pts.)
2009 Dom Pérignon Champagne - France, Champagne
Quite a contrast to the ‘09 Cristal alongside it, the ‘09 Dom Pérignon is much more reserved and displays the reductive Dom Pérignon character of coiled acidity, loads of minerals and whispy smoke. It lingers well and while a bit more open than the über-austere ‘08 it will reward quite a bit more time in bottle. A great palate cleanser for a big red wine tasting dinner. (91 pts.)
Flight 1
1961 Château Le Gay Pomerol - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
The starter wine for the ‘61 Bordeaux horizontal, the Le Gay showed surprisingly well for a property not renown in this vintage. The color displayed good saturation almost to the rim. The fruit is definitely alive, unique and nicely fragrant, with a touch of red to blend with the black. Held up rather well in the glass for a couple of hours before fading. The group favorite of the Flight 1. (91 pts.)
1961 Château Figeac - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
This bottle was recorked in 2005, a fact not revealed until you pull the cork but highly suspected by the mid neck level. However they did it was not terribly successful though since despite the nice color it tasted too old and lacked vigor. On the positive side there was a pleasant eucalyptus note that peeked through the stemmy flavor. Fortunately, over several hours it became more harmonious and focused. Since other bottles can perform much better this one is not representative. (88 pts.)
1961 Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
The brawny aroma in the empty glass was actually the best part of the tasting experience since for the most part this bottle despite a good appearance was much too old. There’s a vestige of that GPL burly black fruit and Pauillac dirt but no where near enough. You can drink it for the experience if you want to but you probably don’t. (86 pts.)
1961 Château Margaux - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
You want to include the First Growths when you do a big Bordeaux horizontal tasting so I reluctantly added this to the list knowing it probably wouldn’t be very good. I was right although this bottle was actually slightly better than some previous ones. There is a hint of that violet flower fragrance of Margaux and even a bit of charm if you wish to be magnanimous but no where near enough to be very enjoyable. From a period when the estate was allegedly not managed carefully enough, showing that great terroir does not guarantee great wine even in a great vintage. (87 pts.)
Flight 2
1961 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Ducru has always been touted as one of the most successful and longest lived second growths of the vintage and this bottle showed why. Not as mellow and sweet as it optimally can be, it nevertheless wins you over with its staggering complexity and harmony. While the core of fruit is obviously tertiary there’s enough to ensure both your nose and your palate are satisfied as you continue to sniff and sip it as the hours roll on. The group favorite of Flight 2. (93 pts.)
1961 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
Does Léoville Las Cases ever become fully mature? Well eventually it does but you have to wait a few eons. Yet even at age 61 this LLC is no where near its deathbed. Very dark ruby, no rust, the darkest shade of any bottle on the table. Really impressive depth and concentration with a pleasant top note of mint. As usual with Léoville Las Cases, even at this advanced age it’s stern and not especially subtle or variegated so it’s more about thrust and power than sheer beauty. Still there is much to admire even if you don’t fall in love. (93 pts.)
1961 Château Léoville Barton - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
A nice showing for the Barton, mostly due to its distinctiveness. I couldn’t identify the smell but after a few passes the closest I could come was “concrete.” Doesn’t sound too pleasant but as often the case with wine, aromas or flavors that originate outside the garden or forest can be intriguing and enjoyable. It fortunately didn’t taste like what I image concrete tastes like but it lives in a dimension well beyond fruit. (89 pts.)
1961 Château Gruaud Larose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
TCA. Actually drinkable for a few minutes before it became unbearably stinky. NR (flawed)
1961 Château Ausone - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru
A bonus bottle since the Gruaud Larose was corked. I was hoping this example would show better than a mediocre one a few years ago but it was not to be. The foundation is sound but the furniture is creaky. Herbaceous and drying out, even slightly stinky, it’s not corked or bretty but its best days were in the distant past. (85 pts.)
Flight 3
1961 Château Calon-Ségur - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
This bottle with very top shoulder ullage emanated from the pristine cellar of famed California collector Ben Ichinose who apparently purchased it on or near release. As with all the old bottles from this cache the color is stunningly youthful. While apparently 1961 is not an especially lauded vintage for Calon, you could not tell from this bottle. Extremely concentrated and lively. Black licorice flavors. Excellent tannins. Slightly coarse. Very St.-Estèphe. Not so much beautiful as impressive. A great display of the advantage of perfect provenance. (93 pts.)
1961 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
While not quite as impressive to me as the Calon-Ségur, most of the others disagreed. Spicy and lingering with more than a hint of tar. Despite its blackness it is not at all dry. A bit more variety of flavor than the Calon with a sightly softer finish but that’s splitting hairs. A steak wine for sure. (93 pts.)
1961 Château Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
As so often the case when successful, Haut-Brion is the most elegant wine of the left bank. Fortunately we were blessed with a wonderful example where the potpourri of gentle woodsmoke, blackberry, balsamic and dates is effortlessly seductive. A mild sensation of sweetness adds to the allure. A beauty suspended in time. (95 pts.)
1961 Château La Mission Haut-Brion - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
While wonderful as usual this bottle of La Mission Haut-Brion was slightly less dazzling than perfect examples, delicious as it was. The usual concoction of cranberry and bonfire with a touch of creosote was all there, just missing a tiny bit of focus and precision. Excellent tannins and acidity. Could easily be Wine of the Night on most evenings, just not tonight. (94 pts.)
Flight 4
1961 Château Lafite Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
After their great success in 1959 you would assume Lafite could duplicate it in a vintage as great as nineteen sixty-one but you would be mistaken. Some critics assign to blame to the lengthy assemblage that year from many barrels but that doesn’t really explain it completely to me. There is a lot of bottle variation yet even the best ones are just very good although light and pretty. This bottle looked great with its very top shoulder fill and good color. Too much green olive though and the overall impression is a modest and pleasant survivor but you would not guess it was a famous first growth. Over time it got more astringent rather than opening up. (89 pts.)
1961 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Arguably the most revered wine of the vintage, the 1961 Latour can certainly be a monumental bottle of wine and this one was very close. Deep red ruby, minimal orange. Really, really intense which somehow is not just due to concentration, something rare and only found in the greatest of wines. Statuesque and regal. Pleasure divided equally to the intellect and the palate. The reason why you want to lay down certain wines for your grandchildren. Bordeaux at its finest. Tied for Wine of the Night for the group. (97 pts.)
1961 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
Staggering. Exciting. Thrilling. The complete package for old Mouton and presumably a strong reason to elevate Mouton to first growth in 1973. Usually a wine becomes softer and more gravelly as it ages but somehow Mouton retains its opulence for decades. The sweet black minty fruit is stunning. Only a slightly elevated acidity makes it short of perfection. It gets better in the glass as it breathes. My Wine of the Night and tied with Latour as the group favorite. (98 pts.)
1961 Château Palmer - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Margaux
Many critics have anointed Palmer as wine of the vintage. No doubt it is one of their greatest successes ever. This bottle from the cellars of Mähler-Besse was recorked by them in 1999. Previous bottles I drank from the same lot were near perfection. Unfortunately this one was slightly off due to an excess of acidity. Some of the famous Palmer mulberry fragrance and flavor was there and it was certainly enjoyable but the acidity was distracting. Too bad you can’t taste the bottle before purchasing it. (93 pts.)
Conclusion: Many of these wines showed fatigue and lacked sufficient fruit and energy. Yet two were spectacular and showed the mysterious depth, complexity and sheer beauty that no young wines have. Several more were outstanding and a testament to the great age ability of Bordeaux.
Amen, my brother.
I have had the pleasure of drinking several of these wines, included among my favorites being the 1961 Ducru, Latour, and Mouton. I thought that the 1959 Lafite you shared with us outshined the ‘61, it was a much more interesting wild and wonderful beast.
Thanks for the great write up, Stuart. Many of these wines I have drunk, but none within the last ten years. Ducru was always one of my favorites from 1961 and I am not surprised that it is still good. Latour and Mouton were monumental, as you note, and Haut-Brion excellent. Lafite? Hard to explain.
So with 1961 it sounds like riding off into the sunset, and concerns appearing more and more about 1982, what is the current optimal vintage for consumption… 1989?
Very nice event and report Stuart. So many 1961 in one night, wow!
Of course, i can't add comments on these wines. The only 1961 i tried is a Chateau Canon La Gaffelière, from MichaelP generous late night offer at one of the convention. It was a very correct wine, but i thought past it best from 15 years.
In the past, i wanted to buy a 1961 Palmer but never pull the trigger, and you guess it, the price was high here.
From your nores, Latour, Mouton, Haut Brion seems like great wines, but i guess the surprise is Le Gay, especially on the q/p ratio... Happy to see LLC and Ducru being excellent too.
I guess i will never buy a 1961 now, risk being too high for the price, so I'll continue to read with attention any future journeys you'll have with 1961 Bordeaux.
Thanks for the excellent notes Stuart, a neat idea to do 61 at 61. I have a few questions and a couple of observations
Questions
1) Did you taste all these wines on the same day/evening? There is a lot there for one sitting
2) Were they all or mostly wines that your sourced or owned?
3) How many others attended?
Observations
1) You are a tough grader! But you are consistent. You will never run in to the ‘ceiling’ problem that people like James Suckling and Jane Anson have
2) I have tasted far fewer 1961s than you have but from what I have tasted it is a very special vintage. The only duds I have had were an auction lot of three Gazins which did not cost a fortune. The last 1961 I tasted was Ducru-Beaucaillou in October with Patrick. I think we both rated it 95 pts. I agree with your subjective description. I got very lucky with Ch Margaux 1961 and LLC at a tasting Tim organised. I rated them both 97. Lynch Bages, drank in 2011 for my brothers 50th was also excellent (no surprise there then) and I think I rated it 94. I have never been fortunate enough to taste Palmer or Latour but did try Mouton in late 2019. It tasted like a Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon…very menthol and minty to an exaggerated degree…the others at the table loved it but I preferred the 1970.
Certainly sounds like a wonderful tasting. So many (former) greats in one seating.
To follow up on Ian's questions. What was the air method for each bottle also? Slow ox? PNP? all breathing for a while before you got to them?
And I wouldn't be surprised if some had to be decanted for sediment or old corks.
That Latour is definitely on my bucket list. The 67 that WinonaChief poured on NYE was just a wonderful experience, even if it may have been a bit past prime. I would imagine that one from a great vintage like 61 would be singing.
I have had a few of the wines, but the one that struck me as a poor example was Margaux. I have had half a dozen, and they have all been stellar except one which was merely good. It is good enough to won an OTT Lunch a few years ago, and there was some strong competition, and a magnum showed beautifully a few months ago at an anniversary dinner.
Musigny 151 wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 9:59 pm
I have had a few of the wines, but the one that struck me as a poor example was Margaux. I have had half a dozen, and they have all been stellar except one which was merely good. It is good enough to won an OTT Lunch a few years ago, and there was some strong competition, and a magnum showed beautifully a few months ago at an anniversary dinner.
But thank you, I loved the notes.
My curiosity has peaked, and google gives me no results. What is an "OTT lunch?"
Comte Flaneur wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 7:06 pm
Questions
1) Did you taste all these wines on the same day/evening? There is a lot there for one sitting
Yes, it was a leisurely 5 hr. dinner in a lovely private room.
2) Were they all or mostly wines that your sourced or owned?
It was a combination of a few bottles I purchased many years ago and the rest I bought in the last few years for this tasting from auctions such as HDH and Heritage as well as several from retail sources around the country. All the bottles looked decent with no leakage or cracked capsules and ullage high shoulder or better. The colors were surprisingly good too. Bacchus favored us; only one corked bottle.
3) How many others attended?
There were 12 guests. We didn’t finish the weaker bottles.
JimHow wrote: ↑Wed Feb 09, 2022 8:01 pm
So with 1961 it sounds like riding off into the sunset, and concerns appearing more and more about 1982, what is the current optimal vintage for consumption… 1989?
It’s not surprising than many of the 1961 examples were exhausted. But over half were very good to excellent and two were superlative. Of course you have to appreciate aged flavors to enjoy them but almost all of them still had fruit left. Unfortunately it seems the hit rate is mostly better the more you ascend the hierarchy although even the fanciest labels do not guarantee success.
The top 20 or so ‘82s I find full of life and several can benefit from more time. As per the nearly ancient ‘61s, I would expect ‘82s such as Chasse Spleen or Cantemerle to be well past their best but I have not tried any recently. You remember a couple of years ago the relatively modest La Lagune outperformed several of the FGs.
I agree that the oldest outstanding mature vintage likely to yield totally vibrant wines is 1989 (or maybe 1986 if you like the style).
JoelD wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 9:33 pm
To follow up on Ian's questions. What was the air method for each bottle also? Slow ox? PNP? all breathing for a while before you got to them?
And I wouldn't be surprised if some had to be decanted for sediment or old corks.
I opened all the bottles 3-4 hrs. at home before the event and promptly double decanted them back into the bottle and stoppered them. Some had a lot of sediment and some had little but I didn’t note that. Surprisingly I was able to extract all the corks intact save one, which was close. I got lucky with bottle conditions.
JoelD wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 9:33 pm
To follow up on Ian's questions. What was the air method for each bottle also? Slow ox? PNP? all breathing for a while before you got to them?
And I wouldn't be surprised if some had to be decanted for sediment or old corks.
I opened all the bottles 3-4 hrs. at home before the event and promptly double decanted them back into the bottle and stoppered them. Some had a lot of sediment and some had little but I didn’t note that. Surprisingly I was able to extract all the corks intact save one, which was close. I got lucky with bottle conditions.
It's always interesting to see the different methods that BWEer's use on these older wines. I always try to learn from all of the many vast experiences on here as I am still learning about older Bordeaux.
Do you feel like some of the weaker wines lose anything from that air/short decant? As opposed to the slow ox/Audoze method? I'm probably irrationally worried about this but sometimes I notice a wine falling off after less than an hour PNP without the splash decant even.
JoelD wrote: ↑Thu Feb 10, 2022 9:33 pm
To follow up on Ian's questions. What was the air method for each bottle also? Slow ox? PNP? all breathing for a while before you got to them?
And I wouldn't be surprised if some had to be decanted for sediment or old corks.
Do you feel like some of the weaker wines lose anything from that air/short decant? As opposed to the slow ox/Audoze method? I'm probably irrationally worried about this but sometimes I notice a wine falling off after less than an hour PNP without the splash decant even.
I’m not a believer in the Audouze method. I’m sure it does no harm but I don’t think it’s necessary and of course you have to enjoy eating the sediment as François does.
Of course I don’t open 150 year old wines like he does but for Bordeaux over 50 years old I prefer to double decant carefully at cool to cold (including refrigerator) bottle temperature. If these oldies are sound they will last in the glass for at least 30 minutes and often much longer. Wines 25 years old or less are practically impossible to kill by decanting unless you boil them .
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