My $25 Birthday Wine

[stefan]

I am spending my 478th birthday by myself because Lucie is 2500 miles away. I didn't want to open an expensive bottle to drink alone, so I opened a 1996 Leoville-Barton, which I really did purchase for $25 twenty-four years ago. I have not yet tasted it, but it smells good and true. In an hour or so I'll order a meal to be delivered by Uber Eats because I think this wine will need a steak and I do not know how to use Lucie's grill. (To be continued)

[robert goulet]

Your 478? No way!!!

1996 Barton is increds...Leoville B is by far my fav. of the Leovilles

Happy Birthday njoy..looking forward to your thoughts

[Comte Flaneur]

Happy birthday professore dottore!

[Blanquito]

Happy Bday!
(Isn’t the mandatory retirement at 480 years old in the UT system?)

[JimHow]

Happy Birthday Stefan!

[JoelD]

Happy birthday! Good, classic choice. I like that wine. I'm sure a nice filet will go quite nicely. Enjoy

[Tom In DC]

Happy birthday, stefan!

[stefan]

Thanks, guys.

I did not move the 96 Barton into my coldest storage until around three or four years ago, when I judged that it was close to entering its "plateau of maturity". I am glad that I did wait so long as this bottle is really singing. Classic Barton elegance with power, gentle cassis, and just a touch of green pepper. The balance is perfect, the fruit is sweet, and the tannins will stand up to the Uber Eats steak that is on its way.

[jckba]

That sounds great and Happy Birthday!

[Winona Chief]

Happy Birthday, stefan - have a great day!

Chris Bublitz

[jal]

Happy birthday young man! Hope to see you soon

[stefan]

Thanks. Turns out that Lucie joined me via Facetime, but I am sure that my wine is better.
As I expected, the LB is great with a grilled strip steak and garlic smashed potatoes. WineSearcherPro says that the current average price of the LB is now $205 in the USA. Sounds about right.

[JoelD]

I just opened a half bottle of 2002 Barton in your honor. I think it cost me around $40 but it's still a great deal. Wonderful acidity. I'm trying hard to save my last 3 splits because this feels like it can age. But the half bottles keep tempting me when I'm drinking by myself on a week night.

[Nicklasss]

Happy birthday stefan!

The 1996 Léoville Barton is a great one, and you surely deserve it.

Lucie is away, that doesn't give you a free pass: next, blow all these candles on your cake!

Big hug, Nic.

[stefan]

It is hard to stop drinking this wine even though I have finished eating. I have 2/3 of the steak left, which motivates me to Repair the bottom half of the bottle to drink with the rest of the steak tomorrow. Also, I do have a 375 of Sauternes that is screaming, "drink me; drink ME!" Being almost half a century old, I don't think that I can both finish the LB and the half of Sauternes.

What should I do?

[stefan]

I have some very tart raspberries that should be soaked in a bit of Sauternes, so I decided to Repour the rest of the Barton and open the 1996 Coutet. I'll eat & drink dessert while watching the Cavs-Suns.

[William P]

Happy Birthday Bill.

Hope the wine exceeds your expectations.

[JimHow]

Off to bed. I heard from a fellow Teyxxan, HM$, yesterday, a good day any day of the week.

[DavidG]

Happy birthday, Stefan!

[JCNorthway]

Happy Birthday. Sounds like a nice celebration.

[Jay Winton]

Father Stefan celebrates a birthday! Always a momentous occasion! Happy birthday!!

[AKR]

Happy birthday stefan.

[ericp]

Happy Birthday Bill! Great to hear the LB is in great shape, from probably my favorite “BWE” kind of vintage - so added points for that.

[JeanFred]

Happy Birthday Stefan!

Glad you enjoy the 1996!

We had the 1995 in a vertical of Barton a week ago and was also great, very classic Barton!

JeanFred

[Tom In DC]

...which motivates me to Repair the bottom half of the bottle...

What should I do?

Geez -- Repair the bottle -- that sounds like you need to get in touch with Rudy K!

[Claudius2]

Stefan
Great to see you are only 478 years old.
I thought everyone else here was getting on but clearly not so.

1996 was one of the last traditionally styled Bordeaux vintages so no surprise it is good. Amazed you got it for only USD25.

Tom
I know an importer in HK who could easily introduce you to several Chinese fakers who are happy to sell much more of a wine than was actually made. Amazing. And they don’t need to repair the bottle they simply make a few million new ones.

Cheers
Mark

[s*d*r]

Given the circumstances it sounds like a great way to celebrate your 478th.

Happy b-day and here’s hoping your 479th is even better.

[stefan]

Thanks, everyone. I had a nice Zoom dinner with Lucie, drank two good wines, and saw the Maps wine.

I have trouble the the spell check. Invariably "Repour" gets changed to "Repair". The stupid computer knows little about wine.

[Claret]

Happy Day Bill.

I have a brace of untasted 96 LB. Great to hear you enjoyed it.