The Ruffino Riserva Ducale Chianti 1955 was stored properly since
release and came in a fancy wooden case of 6 bottles. Of course it was
ready a few decades ago. I decided to keep 2 bottles to see what
happened with very log aging, and after this bottle, only one bottle
remains.

The fill was very high neck. There were no apparent issues before
opening. However this was the most difficult cork to remove that I
have ever met. It was as if the cork had been glued to the inner neck
of the bottle, and it took me many minutes to mine the cork in small
pieces without dropping cork in the bottle. A corkscrew was useless,
as it only would pull out crumbled cork where it was inserted. I
likely should have taken the time to build a charcoal fire to heat the
port tongs to break off the neck of the bottle - an electric range
does not heat port tongs very well.

The color is still medium red with some age showing around the rim.
When you find a Chianti that is nearly brown, it usually is oxidized
in a very nasty way and has such a bad smell that you quickly pour it
down the drain. There was a bit of bottle stench that soon went away.
The wine still has some fruit that has become more complex with age.
It also has rather dry tannins, but they are not harsh. There is some
straw and nuts character that I often detect in very old wines. While
the wine was better quite a while ago, it still is quite drinkable,
especially with food, and the increased complexity somewhat makes up
for loss of fruit.

The last few years I have repeatedly been treated to the Riserva Ducale from
the 1967 and 1968 vintages, and it has held up very well. Of course there is
some oxidazation, and the color is beginning to fade, but it has proven a
reliable mature quaffer and I will rue the day I see the last of it. I am in
no way surprised that your '55s have held out this long.
Cheers
Nils