Chateau Patache d'Aux Medoc, 1983

The label is stained and peeling from the bottle. The cork is saturated and the ullage is down to the base of bottle neck. We have had this wine many times but not in the past 10 or 15 years. I brought the bottle from the cellar along with a backup, assuming that this was going to be a question of declaring the wine dead or alive. Wow! One smell and one taste assured me that this wine is very much alive.

 Medium deep color with some brickish tones. Wild cherry, currants and a touch of black tea on the finish. Deep Cabernet flavors with plush Merlot texture. Very lively. Tannins have blended beautifully into the ripe fruit. 70% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, 3% Petit Verdot and 7% Cabernet Franc. The flavors last long after the wine is swallowed.  This was a $6 to $8 bottle when I bought it, and Patache d'Aux is still one of the best values in medium-priced Bordeaux.