I turned 40 years old on June 21, and my wonderful wife gave me a perfect gift- a 1970 Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou. The bottle was in pristine condition, the fill was just above the shoulder, and the label was in great shape- what a find!
Pristine Label!
I have never had the good fortune to try a seriously aged bordeaux, and have only read stories (i.e. The Billionaire’s Vinegar) about the pleasure, no the enjoyment, of partaking in a perfectly integrated aged red wine.
1964 Topps Pete Rose Baseball Card, Perfect Edges, Great Condition
When I was 14 years old, I saved my paper route money (rather I spent my money) for baseball cards. I started cheap, four packs for a dollar at Joe’s Smoke Shop in Waterville, Maine but then quickly graduated to saving for months for Pete Rose’s “second” card. Like the famous “super second growths” of Bordeaux, Pete’s second year card was still very sought after, albeit less expensive than his rare rookie card.
I paid $75 for the card in 1984, an astronomical sum by any 14 year old’s standards, and I still have the card. It is the prize of my collection, just as much for the memory as the actual price paid. As I wrote this post, I looked up the value of the card, and it’s worth, you guessed it, $75!
Opening the wine proved to be a tension filled, hair raising experience as the cork virtually disintegrated with the corkscrew. I read recommendations on not decanting the wine, but had no choice with the cork pieces now in the bottle. We filtered the wine into a decanter through a fine metal sieve, and were shocked to see the inky purple color, without a hint of oxidized orange.
The Color Was a Surprising Eggplant Purple
We were again surprised at the freshness of the nose, without a hint of musty, oxidized wine. The bouquet was a simple aroma of fresh wildflowers.
And the taste! Spectacularly smooth and easy drinking, it simply tasted great. Perfectly balanced and fresh, we were shocked a third time by how “alive” the wine tasted.
The Perfect Pairing for an Austere Bordeaux - Grilled Chicken
While simple and austere, we were blown away by how great the wine tasted. If I had to guess blind, I would have guessed 10-12 years old, not 40! Wine sophisticate Michael Broadbent, made even more famous in the aforementioned Billionaire’s Vingegar, felt that this Ducru, along with Chateau Latour and Cheval Blanc were the wines of the vintage. Rarefied air.
Best Birthday Gift Ever, Thanks Eva!
Lamb is the quintessential choice for Bordeaux, but in this case a simple grilled (yes, grilled!) chicken with lemon and salt was perfect. Eva (she cooked the amazing meal as well) set the chicken on a roasting rack (thanks Sarah and Jon-Eric), placed it on the grill, and roasted on low heat for 48 minutes. Make sure to place foil underneath the bird as it will flame up and burn the skin. The simple, yet tasty chicken did not overpower the wine and was a great combination.
Nice Bird!
Thanks to the guys at Liner and Elsen for finding the Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou (via Bordeaux Wine Locators). Like the Pete Rose card, the memory of this wine and dinner will be with me the rest of my life.
