Chateau Tayac question

[JimHow]

A local newspaper reporter friend of mine who covers the courthouse beat has a bottle each of the 1983, 1985, and 1986 vintages.
Your thoughts? Is it time to drink them?

[AKR]

If its the Cotes du Bourg, they should be drunk up.

The only wine I know from that AOC that can keep/improve is Roc de Cambes, and that's a freak non typical example.

[JimHow]

...

[DavidG]

I've had the Ch Tayac Cuvée Prestige from the Cotes de Bourg, but never the Ch Tayac Margaux. Looks like a good fill for a 30+ year old wine, so storage has probably been reasonable. 1986 should have started with enough tannins to last if the fruit is still hanging on, and 1983 was great in Margaux. It's only a cru bourgeois, so it may be over the hill, but you never know. It might be very good, but in an old wine sort of way. Open it with him with one of those 10-year-olds whose cases you've just cracked and report back.

[Nicklasss]

I think you need to taste them with your friend and report. You should have very good surprises, if not, very good time anyway.

Nic

[JimHow]

The bottles look good, and they are 3 otherwise good vintages in Margaux.

[AKR]

They're probably quite drinkable. I didn't know there was so many Tayac's!

[Roel]

Think 85 is weakest, 86 strongest... But indeed, Cru Bourgeois and 30 years old. I guess 2 out of 3 are still good. Despite being feminine and stuff, traditional Margaux can last long too. Have fun!

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

I'd be excited to try those. The '82 Ch. Citran from nearby in the Haut Medoc I had last year was excellent.

[Tom In DC]

Give 'em a try, Jim. Of course, they're much too old for your taste . Keep in mind that a lot of Margaux producers at the time were, well, let's be kind and say they were underachieving.

The picture is an interesting study in why identifying fake wine from the label is perilous. For example, the proprietor labeling on the 1983 has "A. F A V I N", while the 1985 has a no period after the initial A and the 1986 has the period back but less spacing between the letters.

[RDD]

Storage?

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

The '83 has a single TN on CT from 2013. 91 points and some enthusiastic-looking French words:

"Grand vin classique, parfaitement mûr, épanoui, corsé, opulent. Un grand plaisir ! Fruit encore très plaisant et note typique d'un vieux Margaux."

Odd since the saying goes, the French drink their wine too young, etc.

[AlohaArtakaHoundsong]

Ah, I remember now. I had an '83 Boyd-Cantenac about 10 years ago. It was excellent then, fully mature.

[JimHow]

I'll bet you all three of them are alive and well and offering up some pleasurable Margaux drinking.

[AKR]

WTSO just hit my inbox with the 2011 for $30ish.