1929 Haut Brion: What should I expect?

This weekend, a good friend and I are going to be celebrating his graduation from the MW certificate program. We have a bottle of 1929 Haut Brion. I have no experience with anything like this. I know storage is a huge factor; this wine has excellent provenance. Any thoughts on what to expect?

I know that this is a *specific* wine, but what I'm really curious about is the general idea about whether these "kinds" of wines usually work out; if we can expect it to actually have some fruit and/or life; if they can be truly excellent; or if this kind of wine is more just a novelty for plutocrats?

1929 was a very great vintage for both claret and Burgundy, probably the best between 1900 (for Bordeaux) and 1945 (for both). They had the reputation of being ingratiatingly delicious drinking from a young age with the best lasting well into their 4th decade. I have vague memories of one or two round bodied, ethereally sweet fruited and elegant bottles drunk in the 50s. I had a 1929 Corton at a millenium tasting and it was remarkably fresh yet rich, velvety and mature; but until the tasting it had never been moved from the cellars under Beaune's ramparts. By the law of averages the Haut-Brion 29 is likely to be faded, particularly in a 75cl bottle, but rare perfectly cellared individual bottles could still be great.

[Jenise]

Ed, I had a 29 Margaux about a year ago that was quite impressive--it was served blind and had the character of a 60's/70's wine. Hope you get as lucky.

I've had 1929 La Mission. It had held up marvellously.

28 and 29 were back-to-back great years.

I suggest using the Audouze method: uncork, pour a small glass, sample, and unless something seems seriously wrong, let the wine take advantage of that air space. Do not decant.

All the best,
Alex R.

Thanks! I don't know if this is bad or good, but now my excitement is propped up by optimism!

Thanks! I don't know if this is bad or good, but now my excitement is propped up by optimism!

But the caveat that there are no great older wines, only great bottles, applies here. Provenance, cork integrity and storage conditions make drinking such an old wine always a bit of a crapshoot. It doesn't to have a backup bottle handy should the experience prove less than ideal.

Mark Lipton

[Jenise]

I've had 1929 La Mission. It had held up marvellously.

28 and 29 were back-to-back great years.

I suggest using the Audouze method: uncork, pour a small glass, sample, and unless something seems seriously wrong, let the wine take advantage of that air space. Do not decant.

All the best,
Alex R.

A '28 Pontet Canet was even better than that '29 Margaux--more optimism, Ed!

I've had 1929 La Mission. It had held up marvellously.

28 and 29 were back-to-back great years.

I suggest using the Audouze method: uncork, pour a small glass, sample, and unless something seems seriously wrong, let the wine take advantage of that air space. Do not decant.

All the best,
Alex R.

A '28 Pontet Canet was even better than that '29 Margaux--more optimism, Ed!

It was those screw caps they used back then.

Ed,

Better yet, ring up Francois Audouze at his website. He can probably tell you all about your wine.

But the caveat that there are no great older wines, only great bottles, applies here. Provenance, cork integrity and storage conditions make drinking such an old wine always a bit of a crapshoot. It doesn't to have a backup bottle handy should the experience prove less than ideal.

Mark Lipton

Exactly.

28 and 29 were back-to-back great years.

But in completely contrasting styles. The 29s were apparently gracious right from the start but the 28s sulked for years rather like the 86s but more so. I owned two or three bottles of Château Latour 28 in the 60s which I had bought for £2.25 (then about $6.30); I obviously opened them too soon because they were big but unyielding. Some 45s which I bought at the same time and price were also sulky at first but the last bottle was wonderful in the mid 80s.

Ed, if your bottle were a 28 it would probably have better chances of having held up but you could still be lucky and have a wonderful bottle of 29. Let us know what it is like.

Hopefully Rogov won't mind my posting the appropriate note from his online database:

Chateau Haut Brion, Graves, 1929: In its 70th year now and although with all of the dignified charms of maturity none of the weaknesses of old age. Full-bodied, intense on nose and palate and still with firm tannins, showing still youthful plum, red currant and black cherry fruits, those complemented nicely by hints of white pepper, licorice and juniper. Perhaps a hint of pine cones on the long finish. Drinking beautifully now but no rush to get to it. Score 98. (Tasted 20 Jun 2001)

Provided its a good bottle, I'd say the prospects couldn't be much better!

Woo-hoo! Thanks gang. I'm getting excited; this will almost certainly be my only opportunity to try a wine *this* rarefied. I'll report back next week!

How are you going to drink it? Are you going to serve food? How many people? I say this because someone asked me how to serve a 1906 Chateau Margaux, and my response was, with a Caesar's salad. It lets the wine be the picture, but you need something to have with the wine.She did just that, and said it was "perfect". Robin gave me this idea about ten years ago and I have used it successfully on numerous occasions. If you like you can shave medium rare NY strip of the salad, but for a wine this old, I'm not sure I would. Bread of course. Let us know how it turns out! Good Luck!

I agree with simple food to let the wine be focus, but Caesar salad wouldn't be my first thought as a wine friendly match (especially with an aged red). Roast chicken for me.

I agree with simple food to let the wine be focus, but Caesar salad wouldn't be my first thought as a wine friendly match (especially with an aged red). Roast chicken for me.

Give it a try, you will be amazed. I often will have something like crab cakes with a Chablis, then maybe escargot with a nice red Burg, and then shaved NY strip or rib-eye over a Caesar's, (or just the salad by itself), this with a nice Bordeaux. Having the salad last, and paired with the big (Bordeaux) red, is different and really shows-off the wine. Don't knock it until you've tried it. Everyone's surprised.

I've had enough reds with Caesar to know it's not really for me, but tastes differ (as do salads. maybe if you make yours light on the lemon I could see it better).