Vinous – A Century of Bordeaux: The Threes

Coutet 1953 – One of the great post-war vintages, second only to 1959 that decade, bottles were pretty common when I set out my career. But the banal fact is that many have been drunk in the last 20 years and are less frequent. A warm and clement August gave the fruit the boost it needed, and then a relatively later harvest was undertaken in dry conditions, a large crop that prompted some mavens to incorrectly suggest they wouldn’t last. Tap “Bordeaux 1953” into the Vinous search engine, and you will see that I’ve populated the database with a number of Clarets in recent years. To this, I add another five. The best wines continue to emit great pleasure (…).
Don’t ignore Sauternes, for the 1953 Coutet showed exceptionally well with delineation, focus and depth. Provenance is critical at this level of maturity, but all these acquitted themselves well and suggest that the
best will show the 2003s what longevity is.

Neal Martin