TN: Obituary: 1970 Bordeaux

[sdr]

OBITUARY: 1970 BORDEAUX - (11/5/2019)

A local collector and head of our wine group decided that 1970 Bordeaux would be an interesting theme for this group, which usually tastes much younger wines of the world. I was excited to try them all in a group comparison setting since it has been years or decades since I had tried many of them and only have a couple of them in the cellar. He had purchased almost all of them on release.

• 1970 Château Les Ormes de Pez - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
  Drinkable but weak and clearly OTH, not surprising for a Cru Bourgeois St. Estèphe at almost half a century. On the positive side, the color is good and it’s mildly pleasant if you want to be generous. Still, just too tertiary and the acidity is too high. (84 pts.)

• 1970 Château Gazin Pomerol - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
  One of the palest wines in the 1970 lineup, the Gazin has also failed to stay the course. Old leather and stale tobacco let you know that it’s too late for CPR and you cannot revive it. (85 pts.)

• 1970 Domaine de Chevalier - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
  There’s a bit of pleasure to be had since there are signs of life in this one, some stuffing and a hint of gravelly fruit. Perhaps this was even good ten or twenty years ago. (86 pts.)

• 1970 Château Pape Clément - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
  From magnum. Interesting due to the aged complexity and Graves character. Perhaps the large format helped preserve it. Although clearly faded, there’s enough stuffing here to almost enjoy half a glass although you won’t ask for a refill. (87 pts.)

• 1970 Château Gruaud Larose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  Magnum bottle. I was hoping for something better from this fine second growth St. Julien. Unfortunately this tasting confirmed my previous mediocre experience with it. The average color was actually the best part. Nothing on the nose. Just generic old wine and too acidic, too. No amount of CPR could revive this one. (86 pts.)

• 1970 Château Latour à Pomerol - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
  Corked. NR (flawed)

• 1970 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  Apparently Léoville Las Cases in this era was not making the stellar wines they did a decade or so later. Nevertheless, this bottle was pretty good. Excellent color with some garnet and ruby. Unlike some of its 1970 brethren it’s definitely alive. No aroma though. On the palate, there’s decent structure and a vestige of earthy red fruit and a lot of tobacco. (88 pts.)

• 1970 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  I’ve had this wine many times since it was the first “old” Bordeaux I drank when it was ten or twelve. It has survived the decades since quite well and is fairly consistent too. It has that cedary mahogany polished leather aroma that old Bordeaux fanatics seek. This particular bottle was slightly below average for ‘70 Ducru since the grip and intensity was fading. Pleasant enough though. (90 pts.)

• 1970 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
  Borderline spoiled by volatile acidity, unfortunately common for Montrose in this era. NR (flawed)

• 1970 Château Lafite Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Lafite was also in a down period at this time and the ‘70 has a poor reputation. I can see why since it is weak and very light in color and body. I was ready to consign it to the trash heap of history at first. But Lafite has a way of sneaking up on you and after several more minutes the delicate ephemeral and elegant rose and violet fragrance of the Château started to emerge. Subtle and intriguing. (91 pts.)

• 1970 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Nineteen-seventy Mouton is reliably terrible and this bottle is more evidence coming in last place in this ‘70 Bordeaux horizontal. Mean, astringent and very unbalanced. Not spoiled but even dedicated necrophiliacs will not find much to like. (78 pts.)

• 1970 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Very nice, even if not up to the best examples. Great color, more like something from the eighties. Weighty tannins that are burly but not obtrusive. Medium concentration. More about the dirt that the berry. Old fashioned Pauillac that’s obviously mature but doesn’t need to be consumed ASAP. (92 pts.)

• 1970 Château Suduiraut - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
  Sauternes without botrytis is like a Ferrari without wheels, it looks pretty but doesn’t go anywhere. The Suduiraut is sweet and orange-y but it’s awfully simple despite plenty of time for any complexity to emerge if it were in there. Okay with dessert, not by itself. (89 pts.)

It’s clear that 1970 has not lasted well. At this age, I would expect the minor examples to have died but there were numerous prestigious bottles, many mediocre and none exciting. I have had significantly better bottles of Latour, Montrose and Ducru in the last few years, though. Au revoir, mes amis, RIP.

Stu

[tim]

Ha, Stuart, you captured my feeling about 1970 very well. I once included a 1970 Lafite into a blind tasting, and it came in dead last (including against a bottle of 2-buck-chuck that I threw in for laughs).

Still waiting to experience that 1970 magic, but it hasn't happened yet.

[SF Ed]

I like 1970, but my experience has been with a lot of the "better" wines. I have had good luck with Las Cases and Montrose, for example.

That being said, I like my wine on the old side, and none of the 1970s have every been truly great wines.

Ed

[Nicklasss]

Thank you sdr for reporting.

Not much encounter with 1970 Bordeaux, but:

- a bottle of 1970 Montrose I bought and opened in 2003 in Montreal, with Jim and MichaelP was excellent to great. Another bottle of 1970 Montrose I bought and opened in DC in 2009 or 2011, at the Winona chief dinner, was barely living on mushrooms.

- a 1970 Latour from you Stuart was excellent in DC in 2016 I guess.

- a 1970 Lascombes I bought and opened in DC in 2011 was excellent. Another bottle this June 2019 in DC was very good.

- a 1970 Latour a Pomerol, i bought and opened at the 2017 SF convention was excellent. That same night, the 1970 Yquem was ok but evolved.

- I liked the 1970 Ducru Beaucaillou and 1970 Conseillante in the past.

- a bottle of 1970 Palmer that you shared with MC and me, in Miami in 2008 (MC was pregnant for the first time), was excellent to great Stuart.

So, I have been lucky with 1970 in general.

Nic

[stefan]

It has been quite a while since I drank a 1970. Good estates performed unevenly, but I had some excellent ones, including e.g. Ducru, Palmer, Latour, La Lagune... My experience with Lafite was similar to yours. It came out light, but the class showed and the wine was "subtle and intriguing". Top estates on the average did better in 1966, but I think the highs were probably higher in 1970.

[DavidG]

Great report Stu. As mentioned in another thread, I don’t have much experience with 1970s. Loved the Haut Brion and Petrus, but on reflection those were 15 years ago or more. I wouldn’t be surprised if those were also past prime at this point.

[JimHow]

I gave AKR a bottle of 1970 Lynch Bages at the 2003 BWE convention in NYC, in the presence of "greatness," John Kapon himself. (By the way, can someone confirm that Rudy was NOT there that night? I could swear that he was.)

How was that 1970 Lynch Bages, Arv?

[Blanquito]

BRING - IT - ON.

My 4-6 bottles of 1970s vs. Stu’s 1966s (or better yet, 1961s).

Name the time and place.

Who will join us? Seating limited (bottles of Cristal and d’Yquem help with admission).

[hautbrionlover]

I had the 1970 Lafite in the early ‘90s and thought that it was just not a good wine.
On the other hand, I had the 1970 Saint Pierre several times between 1995 and 2010 and, to my surprise, it was a lovely wine.

[AlexR]

Why keep wine for 50 years unless you really have to?

The only 1970 I've had recently is the Ducru Beaucaillou last month. This was showing surprisingly well for such an old wine.

Best regards,
Alex R.

[Comte Flaneur]

My wine of the year in 2019 was made ten years before I was born, and in the same year as you were born Alex: Chateau Lafite 1953, drinking superbly at surely at the top of its game. I am not saying all such wines need to kept for 50-60-70 years but I would bet that this wine gives much more pleasure now than it did 30 or 40 or 50 years ago.

With the benefit of age its full glory was on display. Same applies to some Barolo in my experience.

At our Mouton tasting last week, the most complete wine on show, and the best for current drinking was unquestionably the 1970. (By comparison, the 1961 tasted like an oddity: like a Coonawarra, but thrilling nonetheless.) Sure we got lucky with the 1970, which had been stored in a cool cellar for the last 47 years, and I have tasted much less impressive examples of the same wine. But it was so beautifully resolved, as it glided across the palate, it was a dream.

It reminded me of a 1975 Mouton I drank several years ago which was pitch perfect and thrillingly good. But I have also had my fair share of disappointing and nearly dead 75 Moutons, including the most recent one a few years ago.

Last night we opened an exquisite bottle of Ch. Montrose 1975, which was in the same league as the Mouton 70 last week and the Mouton 75, a several years ago. I guess not living in a tropical climate helps. And these wines much prefer living in natural cellars than artificially cooled fridges.

Yes it is risky to keep these wines and it is even riskier to buy them, but in my quite recent experience buying at auction you get well compensated for taking the risk, then you have the added thrill of not knowing how it will be when you pop the cork.

I am drinking through a lot of 1971 Bon Pasteur, St-Emilion (as opposed to Pomerol) and the body count is one dud, one over the hill, one which drank very well and two beauties. I paid £100 for 10 bottles. I am already well in the money.

With the 1970 vintage I have had mixed experiences but plenty of good ones. Next year I am looking forward to several 1970 tastings. Not least with the man they call Blanquito.

[Comte Flaneur]

703094B3-9E4E-4EEF-AD5E-D1322B1C4719.jpeg (79.92 KiB) Viewed 1246 times

[AKR]

I gave AKR a bottle of 1970 Lynch Bages at the 2003 BWE convention in NYC, in the presence of "greatness," John Kapon himself. (By the way, can someone confirm that Rudy was NOT there that night? I could swear that he was.)

How was that 1970 Lynch Bages, Arv?

Rudy was actually there that night, with a bottle of 97 Petrus. He was casing the room looking for private sale prospects, and seemed to focus on Francois.

I believe we used that 70 Lynch Bages in that big Lynch vertical we did some time later. However I don't have distinct memories of the evening other than the 64 was like blue cheese.

[AKR]

OBITUARY: 1970 BORDEAUX - (11/5/2019)

A local collector and head of our wine group decided that 1970 Bordeaux would be an interesting theme for this group, which usually tastes much younger wines of the world. I was excited to try them all in a group comparison setting since it has been years or decades since I had tried many of them and only have a couple of them in the cellar. He had purchased almost all of them on release.

• 1970 Château Les Ormes de Pez - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
  Drinkable but weak and clearly OTH, not surprising for a Cru Bourgeois St. Estèphe at almost half a century. On the positive side, the color is good and it’s mildly pleasant if you want to be generous. Still, just too tertiary and the acidity is too high. (84 pts.)

• 1970 Château Gazin Pomerol - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
  One of the palest wines in the 1970 lineup, the Gazin has also failed to stay the course. Old leather and stale tobacco let you know that it’s too late for CPR and you cannot revive it. (85 pts.)

• 1970 Domaine de Chevalier - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
  There’s a bit of pleasure to be had since there are signs of life in this one, some stuffing and a hint of gravelly fruit. Perhaps this was even good ten or twenty years ago. (86 pts.)

• 1970 Château Pape Clément - France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan
  From magnum. Interesting due to the aged complexity and Graves character. Perhaps the large format helped preserve it. Although clearly faded, there’s enough stuffing here to almost enjoy half a glass although you won’t ask for a refill. (87 pts.)

• 1970 Château Gruaud Larose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  Magnum bottle. I was hoping for something better from this fine second growth St. Julien. Unfortunately this tasting confirmed my previous mediocre experience with it. The average color was actually the best part. Nothing on the nose. Just generic old wine and too acidic, too. No amount of CPR could revive this one. (86 pts.)

• 1970 Château Latour à Pomerol - France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol
  Corked. NR (flawed)

• 1970 Château Léoville Las Cases - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  Apparently Léoville Las Cases in this era was not making the stellar wines they did a decade or so later. Nevertheless, this bottle was pretty good. Excellent color with some garnet and ruby. Unlike some of its 1970 brethren it’s definitely alive. No aroma though. On the palate, there’s decent structure and a vestige of earthy red fruit and a lot of tobacco. (88 pts.)

• 1970 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien
  I’ve had this wine many times since it was the first “old” Bordeaux I drank when it was ten or twelve. It has survived the decades since quite well and is fairly consistent too. It has that cedary mahogany polished leather aroma that old Bordeaux fanatics seek. This particular bottle was slightly below average for ‘70 Ducru since the grip and intensity was fading. Pleasant enough though. (90 pts.)

• 1970 Château Montrose - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Estèphe
  Borderline spoiled by volatile acidity, unfortunately common for Montrose in this era. NR (flawed)

• 1970 Château Lafite Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Lafite was also in a down period at this time and the ‘70 has a poor reputation. I can see why since it is weak and very light in color and body. I was ready to consign it to the trash heap of history at first. But Lafite has a way of sneaking up on you and after several more minutes the delicate ephemeral and elegant rose and violet fragrance of the Château started to emerge. Subtle and intriguing. (91 pts.)

• 1970 Château Mouton Rothschild - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Nineteen-seventy Mouton is reliably terrible and this bottle is more evidence coming in last place in this ‘70 Bordeaux horizontal. Mean, astringent and very unbalanced. Not spoiled but even dedicated necrophiliacs will not find much to like. (78 pts.)

• 1970 Château Latour Grand Vin - France, Bordeaux, Médoc, Pauillac
  Very nice, even if not up to the best examples. Great color, more like something from the eighties. Weighty tannins that are burly but not obtrusive. Medium concentration. More about the dirt that the berry. Old fashioned Pauillac that’s obviously mature but doesn’t need to be consumed ASAP. (92 pts.)

• 1970 Château Suduiraut - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
  Sauternes without botrytis is like a Ferrari without wheels, it looks pretty but doesn’t go anywhere. The Suduiraut is sweet and orange-y but it’s awfully simple despite plenty of time for any complexity to emerge if it were in there. Okay with dessert, not by itself. (89 pts.)

It’s clear that 1970 has not lasted well. At this age, I would expect the minor examples to have died but there were numerous prestigious bottles, many mediocre and none exciting. I have had significantly better bottles of Latour, Montrose and Ducru in the last few years, though. Au revoir, mes amis, RIP.

Stu

I've had most of these, some a few times, over the years and have been either slightly luckier, or just had them somewhat earlier in life. There is just so much variability in what people can experience after 50 years. I think I brought a 1970 Gazin and triangular bottled Talbot to one the first BWE confabs actually.

I'd be very reluctant to buy older wines like that vintage now; they're trading vehicles now.

https://www.valuewalk.com/2017/03/seth- ... -sardines/

[JimHow]

JimHow wrote:
I gave AKR a bottle of 1970 Lynch Bages at the 2003 BWE convention in NYC, in the presence of "greatness," John Kapon himself. (By the way, can someone confirm that Rudy was NOT there that night? I could swear that he was.)

How was that 1970 Lynch Bages, Arv?


Rudy was actually there that night, with a bottle of 97 Petrus. He was casing the room looking for private sale prospects, and seemed to focus on Francois.

I believe we used that 70 Lynch Bages in that big Lynch vertical we did some time later. However I don't have distinct memories of the evening other than the 64 was like blue cheese.

Ha... I thought so. I remember he called me at the last minute to get on the list.
We were at 100, and we stretched it to 103...
Myself, Whuzzup, and PappaDoc were prepared to go without dinner so that we could feed the likes of Jon Kapon and Rudy and their fellow monsters at that corner table. Fortunately, they were able to cook 3 more dinners.

I recall talking to Mark Golodetz at one point, with two Petruses in hand, one was the '97, what was the other? I want to say '67. Yes, I'm sure it was the '67.

What history we have seen at Bordeaux Wine Enthusiasts!

[AKR]

I think Rudy tried to bait Francois into some kind of 'big baller/lumber' type of transaction or speculative discussion, but must have been frustrated when instead of numbers being bandied about for case lots of 90 DRC, a turpentine affected bottle of Vin Jaune was proferred, and a Loving Cup sip & kiss was demanded.

[dstgolf]

Most of to 1970s I've had have not aged gracefully and have seen better days. Some wines you go wow from 61,59 and even the 56 Lafite we had in June was incredible. 70 Mouton recently was not the experience that Ian described. Barely drinkable and I'd have poured it down the sink if not for the label knowing/hoping that it might blossom into something special....NOT!! When you have one like these at it's the first you've ever tried you have to hope that it was better at some other point in its life because of pedigree and why wait to enjoy is what Alex has said to risk a DOA experience. Some on this board love ancient wines and get great pleasures from those mushroom/soya notes and they go wow but I'm usually dumbfounded by their reaction AKA Francois and a few others.

Loved the notes Stu but in general this was one tasting that by the end of reading that I was envious of not being there!!

[AlexR]

Ian,

I see your points entirely. Haven’t I shared lovely old wines with you at your house in London ? And 53 and 28 Haut Brion with you thank’s to Tim’s generosity? I would be a hypocrite and a liar to say I didn’t enjoy these moments immensely.

There is this mythical idea of peak, a bit like the G spot .

Different people have different ideas and likes.

Whose to say if your 53 Lafite will have been better ten or twenty years earlier.
Academic really,since such a comparison is impossible to make.

I’ve had 70 Mouton and was not enthralled. I’ve had 61 Mouton too, years ago, when I thought it was drinking beautifully.

I don’t mean to pooh-pooh or demean your experiences. So much is a matter of taste…

Best regards,
Alex R.

[DavidG]

I'd be very reluctant to buy older wines like that vintage now; they're trading vehicles now.

https://www.valuewalk.com/2017/03/seth- ... -sardines/

The best part of that article is the first paragraph, where the author describes the few available copies of a book on investment advice trading for over $1700. That's better than the sardine story LOL.

[JimHow]

I think Rudy tried to bait Francois into some kind of 'big baller/lumber' type of transaction or speculative discussion, but must have been frustrated when instead of numbers being bandied about for case lots of 90 DRC, a turpentine affected bottle of Vin Jaune was proferred, and a Loving Cup sip & kiss was demanded.

Rudy versus Francois... At BWE NYC '03.

Wow. Wine world history.

[DavidG]

Francois is the genuine article. Not surprised Rudy didn’t make a dent in his armor.

[AKR]

I'd be very reluctant to buy older wines like that vintage now; they're trading vehicles now.

https://www.valuewalk.com/2017/03/seth- ... -sardines/

The best part of that article is the first paragraph, where the author describes the few available copies of a book on investment advice trading for over $1700. That's better than the sardine story LOL.

I've been trying to buy that book since the 90's, and once was the 2nd person to call some used book store that had it ... but it was already sold. At least now I have a pdf version.

[DavidG]

I'd be very reluctant to buy older wines like that vintage now; they're trading vehicles now.

https://www.valuewalk.com/2017/03/seth- ... -sardines/

The best part of that article is the first paragraph, where the author describes the few available copies of a book on investment advice trading for over $1700. That's better than the sardine story LOL.

I've been trying to buy that book since the 90's, and once was the 2nd person to call some used book store that had it ... but it was already sold. At least now I have a pdf version.

The hard copies aren’t for reading, they’re for trading.
The PDF version is for reading.

[Blanquito]

One thing that we can (probably) all agree on — even though (or if) there are still lovely bottles of 1970 Bordeaux out there, they’ve been ready to go for a long while now. The good ones are merely holding on and have (successfully) done so for years.