1968 Haut Brion

The 1968 Haut-Brion came from an opened bottle at Mon Millésime in Beaune, the proprietor inviting me to taste. Of course, it was a rather miserable growing season in Bordeaux, so unsurprisingly the nose is decayed and slightly volatile, although I have had worse. The palate is rustic and lacks much in the way of midpalate weight, although it has just about sufficient freshness and still exudes Haut-Brion character on the dry, black-olive-tinged finish. This seems to deteriorate with air, so pour direct into the wine glass if you come across it. Tasted in Beaune.