I bought some La Tache 1966 in Chicago sometime around 1970. I forget
what it cost then, but it was less than you have to pay now for a just
fairly good California Cabernet Sauvignon. It has been stored properly,
and after opening this bottle, only one remains. I am saving that one
for a tasting with my one bottle of 1966 Romanee-Conti sometime in the
future.

Of course it is fully mature, but I believe it might hold fairly well a
few more years. The color is not extremely deep as is "improved"
Burgundy from the 60s era. It is a nice, fairly pale ruby with a bit of
age showing around the rim. This wine is all about complexity and
balence. There are many layers of floral, earty, and fruity components
that fade in and out. At one moment it reminds you of one thing, then it
reminds you of something else. You can find hints of many fruits, mixed
spices, truffles, beets, etc. without having to try very hard to find
them. There is enough acid, and the tannins now are light and medium. It
went very well with roast beef filet(with ends removed) stuffed with a
mushroom mixture - sort of like a Beef Wellington inverted so the
stuffing is inside and without pastry. It was served with classic sauce
Perigueux made with a good Sercil Madeira and a generous amount of fresh
winter black truffles.

My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase
from my email address. Then add . I do not
check this box every day, so post if you need a quick response.

I bought some La Tache 1966

Sadly, a bottle we had was spoiled, with a truly bad nose you just couldn't get
past.

The 1978 is a killer wine, though, which we had at the same event, so that made
up for it!

The DRC wines are not immune to the usual problems that wines can have.
I once had a badly corked bottle of their Echezeaux from the 70s - I do
not recall the exact year. Since many people age their wines for many
years, returning the corked bottle to the wine shop often is not an
option.

Michael Broadbent has tasted the 66 La Tache several times, with a last
tasting in 1997. He rated the wine at best 5-star. He notes a bottle or
two not quite as good as this. From his notes, this wine was fairly
tannic in youth. It sounds as if your bad bottle was far worse than
anything Broadbent tasted.

My mailbox is always full to avoid spam. To contact me, erase
from my email address. Then add . I do not
check this box every day, so post if you need a quick response.