Chateau du Coulinat Saint Croix du Mont, 1975

The price tag on the bottle says $5.89, and, even in the early 1980s, that was an excellent price for a Sauternes neighbor. The wine at that time was rich in apricot, almond, coconut and marzipan smells and flavors--a dessert in a glass. I loved it and went through at least a case and a half. A few bottles have lingered in the cellar, to be tried once very few few years rather than once every few months. The bottle I opened tonight was pretty much as it has been for the last 10 to 15 years. It's lost some of that vibrant fruit that made it so appealing in the early 1980s, and the additional complexity that has replaced it is not quite worth the wait. Nevertheless, this wine has given me great pleasure over the years, and it's still an enjoyable after dinner drink.

The color is a fully mature old gold. There's more apricot, honey and marzipan on the nose and palate than anything else at this stage. It's sweet and rich, but the finish is a bit flat with a slightly bitter tinge. At 33 years of age, it's no longer glorious or extravagant, just a nice drink.

I still have a good number of half bottles of the 1983 Coulinat, and it is showing much better at this stage. Saint Croix du Mont is a good source of inexpensive Sauternes-like wines.