1959 Ducru Beaucaillou

The finest fully mature vintage in the retrospective, the 1959 Château Ducru-Beaucaillou is still ruby-hued with very little bricking at the edges. Mature currants and darker cherry fruit as well as smoked tobacco, cedar pencil, graphite, and spicy notes all define the aromatics, and it has remarkable complexity and nuance. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, this beauty has flawless overall balance, a seamless, layered mouthfeel, fully resolved tannins, and a great finish. This is one of those wines you just want to spend a whole evening with. It's at point today, so while it will clearly evolve gracefully going forward, don't miss this beauty at its peak!

The 1959 vintage in Bordeaux is sometimes overshadowed by the 1961 in popular imagination, but wines like this remind us that there can be magic in these bottles. This one stopped everyone tasting it in their tracks, and I'm sure I'm not the only one to still be thinking about it. Retains poise and freshness, uncurling waves of violet and gentle dried roses. So elegant, well drawn, totally spellbinding. Think cold ash, leather, fine tannins, soot, fruits secondary to white pepper and smoked spice at this point but you'll still find melted raspberry and redcurrant puree. Mouthwatering finish, a wine that stays in your memory. Stored at the estate, without labels, partly as a protection against theft. Oak casks used for ageing, and already the secondary, softening malolactic fermentation was carried out systematically at Ducru, because Emily Peynaud was their consultant. Jean-Eugène Borie owner, father of today's Bruno Borie. Hard to give a Drink By date, as it already older than pretty much all of us around the table, and still going strong. Recorked in 2011, with the original vintage used for any refilling required.