Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Chateau Meyney Prieure des Couleys Saint-Estephe, 1975

I brought out this 1975 Meyney to celebrate our 37th anniversary, and it was every bit as pleasurable as our 37 years of marriage. The wine, of course, is a couple of years younger; 1973 was a miserable vintage in nearly every part of the wine world except Rioja, and I have exhausted what was once a good supply of 1973 Rioja Reservas along with a few bottles of the 1973 Inglenook Cask Cabernet. But I have no trouble moving to a fine 1975 Bordeaux that is begging to be enjoyed.

Robert Parker has stated that Meyney produced arguably the Bordeaux wine of the vintage in 1975, and from my experience with this wine, I have no quarrel with that, although my experience is much more limited than his. Prieure des Couleys, incidentally, is the second label of Meyney. So it's hard for me to imagine how good the regular bottling must be.

The color is a medium light garnet, definitely mature. The bouquet and flavors are also fully mature but remarkably fresh and lively for a 35-year-old wine. Cedar, cherries, licorice and also some darker fruit such as plums. This is a lovely wine with everything very finely focused and defined. It has lift and life on the palate with a medium to light body and a silky texture. From the first taste, the finish is long and satisfying. What better wine to celebrate 37 years?

3 comments:

  1. Amazing. Just opened one. It is superb. Leather, cedar, cassis, chocolate...and good length. Good secondary fruits. This would have been fine for another 5 years for sure!

    This is quite a surprise!

    Hugely enjoyable.

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  2. My last bottle (before this one) was in 2004, and it was equally fine. I think I have one more, so I may give it a try in 2015. Can you imagine what the regular bottling of 1975 Meyney would be like?

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  3. Hi Fred - I encountered this question with the labelling too. That is that Prieure des Couleys was on bottles of the Grand Vin albeit subordinate on the label to "Ch Meyney". It was later dropped from the first wine label and used to name their newly introduced second wine. The first wine now bearing only "Ch Meyney". I think this must have been late 70's or early 80's.

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