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97 JG. "The 1929 Beychevelle is an absolutely beautiful bottle of wine that, amazingly, still has decades of life in it. I had tasted this wine on one previous occasion, where a bit of volatile acidity was present, but this most recent bottle was absolutely pristine and drinking magically. The hauntingly pure and refined nose soars from the glass in a perfumed mélange of smoked meats, cherries, a touch of blood orange, nutskins, gentle smoky tones, a beautiful base of soil, Cuban tobacco and a touch of cocoa powder in the upper register. On the palate the wine is fullish, pure and stunningly complex, with perfect focus and balance, bright, beautifully integrated acids, a lingering memory of the tannins that are now gone and stunning length and grip on the quintessentially elegant finish. At eighty-two years of age, the 1929 Beychevelle remains at its summit of peak drinkability and is one of the most beautiful bottles of claret I have ever had the pleasure to taste." John Gilman, View From the Cellar, May/Jun 2011, Issue #33 |