1945 Bordeaux Superieur

I have had a bottle of wine in my basement that I never knew much about. I'm hoping by reaching out to the forum I could learn more about its history and pedigree. I have attached pictures below.

The wine is a 1945 Bordeaux Superieur, bottled by Jourdan Fils Freres in France. The cork is intact, but the label is showing its age.

Any feedback would be much appreciated!

Regards,
Ben

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Sorry, no information of Jourdan Fils Freres, not even one bottle listed on CT (there is a Chateau Jourdan, Bdx Sup that seems to be a recent property).
This isn't really a bottle intended to age. Bdx Sup is the next to most basic Bdx labeling (after Bdx AC), with no location specificity other than region. Negociant bottlings like this are for the most part undistinguished, typically sold for very little and drunk very young.
That said, 1945 is a very famous vintage, considered one of the all time greats. If any vintage of a Bordeaux Sup. could last 50+ years, it would be a '45.
What are the fill and color like?
There's not really a lot of value here from a wine standpoint. I'd guess it might fetch $75=100 on Winebid just because of the vintage. But there is always the chance it is drinkable, and in any case should be interesting. Enjoy!

[Jenise]

I'd guess it might fetch $75=100 on Winebid just because of the vintage. But there is always the chance it is drinkable, and in any case should be interesting. Enjoy!

Might add that auction sites like Winebid won't take single bottle lots or collections under XXXX dollar value. Ben, have any friends who are into wine and who understand/appreciate mature wines?

Indeed WB wouldn't take, I wasn't suggesting he could do that, just giving a rough idea of likely value. But if someone wanted to sell there is no minimum as far as I know on Wine Commune, though lack of feedback might dampen enthusiasm. But the effort is likely to be more trouble than the return, I'd suggest opening it.

[Jenise]

Indeed WB wouldn't take, I wasn't suggesting he could do that, just giving a rough idea of likely value.

Oh I knew where you were coming from, was just worried Ben might consider it a suggestion. Better to share it with friends and hope for an epiphinal experience.

In full agreement with what the others have said above. The greatest probability is that this wine, no matter how appealing it may have been in its youth has long-since died and gone on to puppy paradise.

Oh the other hand, miracles do happen and 1945 might be especially prone to such miracles so I would advise standing the bottle in an upright position in a cool place for several days, opening it with great care and tenderness and trying your luck. If nothing else you will have the thrill of opening a memorable moment from the 20th century. Be sure though to have a standby bottle at hand to open if this one proves undrinkable.

Do let us know how the wine turns out.

Best
Rogov

[James Roscoe]

Good advice from all concerned. Try it. Have something else ready just in case.

I was curious about the Jourdan name and an email from Bordeaux reveals that Jacques Jourdan found this negotiant house in 1798 and the house continued to function until 1949. The Jourdan house was a small but profitable one and one member of the family, Charles Jourdan, went on to establish the company that produces the luxury shoes that became so well known in pre-revolutionary times and maintained their integrity, adding hand bags for ladies and gentlemen to their line until the mid 1960's. It was said that nearly every noble woman who met her fate at the guillotine wore Jourdan shoes.

Interesting to me to be made continually aware that a great deal of knowledge remains quite distant from the realm of cyberspace.

Best
Rogov

Thanks for the feedback! We're planning to open it up in October.

It was said that nearly every noble woman who met her fate at the guillotine wore Jourdan shoes.

Wait, Charles Jourdan was born in late 19th century, and started making shoes after WW1. How did they get his shoes in 18th century???

Thanks for the feedback! We're planning to open it up in October.

We'll keep our fingers crossed for you! But even if it's past it, it won't hurt you, and you'll have tasted a link to history. If you have a chance, you might read "Wine and War" by the Kladstrups, husband and wife team, gives a clue the trials winemakers went through during WWII and as it ended.

Dale, Hi..

Historian Sanche Gramont has it that the first Charles of shoe fame was born in the 1740's and had attained the peak of his fame by 1775. Whether the later Charles was a relative or not is not known to me.

Best
Rogov

Dale, Hi..

Historian Sanche Gramont has it that the first Charles of shoe fame was born in the 1740's and had attained the peak of his fame by 1775. Whether the later Charles was a relative or not is not known to me.

Best
Rogov

But you just said they added handbags etc in the 1960s?
Did you know Sanche de Gramont changed his name to Ted Morgan? It's a cool story (and he's an accomplished biographer -if his Churchhill book had won a Pulitzer, he'd almost certainly have been only person to win 2 under different names).
In any case, I'd find it exceedingly strange if a world famous shoe designer shared the same name as a shoe designer who shod most of 1780s nobility and no one noted it.

Did anyone pick up from the first photo the part that appears to say "White Bordeaux Wine"? Was a "Bordeaux Superieur" a sweet white wine back in those days? If it were like a Sauternes, then it could be interesting to try, providing it was stored well. A dry white, maybe not so much.

Joe, I totally missed that. Interesting, I've never seen a Bordeaux Superieur as anything but red, but my experience means little, and even less in 1945!

I missed that too! In many years I have encountered only 4 - 5 white Bordeaux Superieur wines and psychology works - I was simply not looking for that. If a dry white, best to hold the bottle with great respect and to say: "Our Father Who Art In Heaven....". If a sweet white, perhaps even late harvest or botrytis, a chance that it may still have some charm.

Best
Rogov

Too bad - had the label been in perfect shape it would have had some value as a curiosity.

Best advice - see if you can find a charity auction that will accept the donation and ask for a $100 value tax receipt. I dumped a 1965 Mouton that way.