1961 Lynch-Bages, Pauillac

It's incredible how good this still is, the product of a year with tiny yields after a spring frost and a dry August and September. It equals many of the best 1945s that I’ve tasted, giving Latour a run for its money at a fraction of the price. This is richly coloured and it holds on in the glass, revealing layers of flavour. It is spicier and more intense than anything else here; tight, powerful and very much still in control. There's a flush of heat and burnished cinnamon on the finish, which gives it an almost port-like shadow. (JA)

Still a spectacular wine, the 1961 defies mortality. It has been at its peak for nearly 15 years, yet it shows no signs of losing its fruit and drying out. The color is a dark garnet with orange/amber at the edge. The profound bouquet has the magnetic allure that leaves great Bordeaux unmatched for complexity. Sweet notes of dried fruits, herbs, tobacco, smoke, and roasted meats are followed by an opulently-textured, thick, nearly viscous wine with high glycerin, ripe, jammy fruit, and an intoxicating combination of glycerin, extract, and suppleness. The wine holds in the glass without cracking up, and has a good 40-45 second finish. There is no telling how much longer this 1961 will retain its magic, but it is still a classic. (RP)