The wine is Moulin Touchais 1959 from the Anjou region of the Loire.
The firm Touchais has large holdings in the region and selects the
best grapes from various vineyards to make this wine.

This wine is full gold in color with hints of old gold - about the
same as a top Sauternes at peak. This wine is extremely sweet, but
there is plenty of clean acidity to balance it. A first sip reminds
you of a sweet syrup, and then the acidity kicks in to balance it. The
bouquet and taste are both quite intense with candied pineapple,
honey, butterscotch, beeswax, and floral hints being suggested, at
least for me. The wine is mouth coating. The finish is very long. In
short, this is the best Loire I have ever tasted, but then I have not
tasted many of the very top sweet ones which are produced only in the
greatest years.

Michael Broadbent tasted it in 1987, and I have not seen more recent
tasting notes by him. Then he rated it 5 star out of 5 star and
suggested it had years more of life ahead. His rating was higher than
for the 1949 and 1947, and you have to go back to 1945 to find an
earlier 5 star rating of Moulin Touchais by him.

My guess is that the wine will easily outlast me and the cork. I
likely will dip the tops of the remaining bottles in sealing wax to
protect the wine in case a cork fails. The cork of the bottle I opened
still was sealing well, but the it nearly crumbled at touch. Although
such a cork could hold a few more decades if properly stored, it also
could start letting air in or leaking at nearly any time.

"cwdjrxyz" > wrote in message
...
> The wine is Moulin Touchais 1959 from the Anjou region of the Loire.
> The firm Touchais has large holdings in the region and selects the
> best grapes from various vineyards to make this wine.
>
> This wine is full gold in color with hints of old gold - about the
> same as a top Sauternes at peak. This wine is extremely sweet, but
> there is plenty of clean acidity to balance it. A first sip reminds
> you of a sweet syrup, and then the acidity kicks in to balance it. The
> bouquet and taste are both quite intense with candied pineapple,
> honey, butterscotch, beeswax, and floral hints being suggested, at
> least for me. The wine is mouth coating. The finish is very long. In
> short, this is the best Loire I have ever tasted, but then I have not
> tasted many of the very top sweet ones which are produced only in the
> greatest years.
>
> Michael Broadbent tasted it in 1987, and I have not seen more recent
> tasting notes by him. Then he rated it 5 star out of 5 star and
> suggested it had years more of life ahead. His rating was higher than
> for the 1949 and 1947, and you have to go back to 1945 to find an
> earlier 5 star rating of Moulin Touchais by him.
>
> My guess is that the wine will easily outlast me and the cork. I
> likely will dip the tops of the remaining bottles in sealing wax to
> protect the wine in case a cork fails. The cork of the bottle I opened
> still was sealing well, but the it nearly crumbled at touch. Although
> such a cork could hold a few more decades if properly stored, it also
> could start letting air in or leaking at nearly any time.

After reading a wonderful article in Decanter? entitled something like "The
Hidden cellar of the Loire"? I tracked down the MT 1945 and 1955 vintages
in Melbourne back in the '80s. The '45 was one of the greatest wines I've
ever tasted.

I wrote some years back
"There are few greater delights that drinking a very old wine that has aged
gracefully - despite the considerable odds against it. I can recall some
memorable examples, like a Kopke Vintage Port 1945; a few bottles of Seppelt
Sparkling Shiraz 1946. The Moulin Touchais (chenin blanc) 1945 and 1955.
Yalumba Riesling 1934 and a 1930s blend of Penfolds? Sercial Madeira,
bottled by Jimmy Watson."


Cheers!
Martin

On Dec 29, 2:18�am, cwdjrxyz > wrote:
> The wine is Moulin Touchais 1959 from the Anjou region of the Loire.
> The firm Touchais has large holdings in the region and selects the
> best grapes from various vineyards to make this wine.
>
> This wine is full gold in color with hints of old gold - about the
> same as a top Sauternes at peak. This wine is extremely sweet, but
> there is plenty of clean acidity to balance it. A first sip reminds
> you of a sweet syrup, and then the acidity kicks in to balance it. The
> bouquet and taste are both quite intense with candied pineapple,
> honey, butterscotch, beeswax, and floral hints being suggested, at
> least for me. The wine is mouth coating. The finish is very long. In
> short, this is the best Loire I have ever tasted, but then I have not
> tasted many of the very top sweet ones which are produced only in the
> greatest years.
>
> Michael Broadbent tasted it in 1987, and I have not seen more recent
> tasting notes by him. Then he rated it 5 star out of 5 star and
> suggested it had years more of life ahead. His rating was higher than
> for the 1949 and 1947, and you have to go back to 1945 to find an
> earlier 5 star rating of Moulin Touchais by him.
>
> My guess is that the wine will easily outlast me and the cork. I
> likely will dip the tops of the remaining bottles in sealing wax to
> protect the wine in case a cork fails. The cork of the bottle I opened
> still was sealing well, but the it nearly crumbled at touch. Although
> such a cork could hold a few more decades if properly stored, it also
> could start letting air in or leaking at nearly any time.

thanks for note. I have one of these for Betsy's 50th next year, hope
it shows as well!