We have two 1964 wines, a Barolo and a Bordeaux, as well as the 1994 Orion Old Vines and a fantastic sweet wine experience.
With the Damilano 1964 Barolo, you can tell that 1964 was a great vintage in Piedmont. Unfortunately, the wine has a very slight hint of cellar mustiness, but also powerful aromas of plaka, boxed chocolates, dried rose petals and some animalism at first. The tannin, still present, gives the wine good structure, plus the wine is dense, balanced and with a long finish. 18.5/20 points.
In Bordeaux, 1964 was also a great vintage: the Château Brane-Cantenac 1964 Margaux 2eme Cru Classe starts with aromas of wood, coconut, caramel, red currants and later gets cassis. The wine has medium to full body, balance, medium to long finish and seems younger than it is. 18.8/20 points.
Unfortunately, vintages like 1995, 1996 and 1997 have clearly passed their peak, but the Sean H. Thackrey 1994 Orion Old Vines is from a great vintage and still stands up excellently. However, the wine should be drunk now. The wine starts with lots of eucalyptus, like an Australian, and lots of peppermint and chocolate, reminiscent of After-Eight. The wine has full body, balance, structure and a long finish. With plenty of air, flavors of American oak emerge, like Silesian cucumber stew or dill. 18.5/20 points.
1971, along with 1959, 1975 and 1976, was the biggest year for noble sweet Rieslings in Germany. During these years, the Staatsweingüter Eltville (Kloster Eberbach) released the most sensational wines in their history. One of the best sites in the Rheingau is the Erbacher Marcobrunn, which produces powerful and complex wines. The Staatsweingüter Eltville 1971 Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Trockenbeerenauslese has complexity with aromas of Darjeeling, myrrh, herbs, dried apricot, dried fruit, some dates and with air even powdered sugar and a perfect balance and harmony with sweetness-acidity play rarely seen. The acidity gives a freshness and, for all its density and high extract, makes the wine seem light on its feet and floating, light as a feather. This TBA is a great sweet wine experience! 20/20 points.
