The year 1964 produced some great wines, but much depended on when the
grapes were picked. For those who picked before the rain started, some
great wines were produced. For those who picked partly or completely
after the rains started, results were very variable. For example, Ch.
Latour picked before the rains and made a great wine. Ch. Lafite
picked partly after the rains started and produced rather dilute wines
that had some interest when young but now are much too old. And of
course in the 1960s some properties could be depended on to produce
rather common wines in most years, good or bad.

I opened my only bottle of Ch. Latour today. There were no issues
other than the cork was rather difficult to extract without breaking.
The fill was low neck, or very high shoulder, depending on if you are
a buyer or seller of this bottle:-). The bottle has been properly
stored.

This is the type of wine that at once seems very special. You do not
have to fret about glass type used, detailed analysis, etc. It at once
presents itself as a very balanced and integrated whole. The mixed
dark fruit fruit is intense and very typical of top red Bordeaux.
There is some cedar. The acid and tannins are in perfect balance. The
wine is quite full but well balanced. The intensity is high and the
aftertaste fine and very long. The color is still deep and shows only
a little evidence of age around the rim. I can find nothing to
complain about. The 1961 may be more intense and concentrated and may
live longer.

On Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:20:58 -0700 (PDT), cwdjrxyz
> wrote:

>The year 1964 produced some great wines, but much depended on when the
>grapes were picked. For those who picked before the rain started, some
>great wines were produced. For those who picked partly or completely
>after the rains started, results were very variable. For example, Ch.
>Latour picked before the rains and made a great wine. Ch. Lafite
>picked partly after the rains started and produced rather dilute wines
>that had some interest when young but now are much too old. And of
>course in the 1960s some properties could be depended on to produce
>rather common wines in most years, good or bad.
>
>I opened my only bottle of Ch. Latour today. There were no issues
>other than the cork was rather difficult to extract without breaking.
>The fill was low neck, or very high shoulder, depending on if you are
>a buyer or seller of this bottle:-). The bottle has been properly
>stored.
>
>This is the type of wine that at once seems very special. You do not
>have to fret about glass type used, detailed analysis, etc. It at once
>presents itself as a very balanced and integrated whole. The mixed
>dark fruit fruit is intense and very typical of top red Bordeaux.
>There is some cedar. The acid and tannins are in perfect balance. The
>wine is quite full but well balanced. The intensity is high and the
>aftertaste fine and very long. The color is still deep and shows only
>a little evidence of age around the rim. I can find nothing to
>complain about. The 1961 may be more intense and concentrated and may
>live longer.
Notes like that make me almost believe I have been there (and this is,
of course, as close as I am likely to get). thank you it was good :-)
Joseph Coulter
J&B Journeys
www.josephcoulter.com

904 685 5317

I've had a few bottles of this and it can be very good indeed. I amde
the mistake of opening two singles for a dinner (we had to match a
magnum of the 1970) and of course one showed better than the other -
expected at that age.

I wish I had more 1964 in the cellar, but sadly, I am down to a couple
of bottles of Trotanoy - that I should really think about opening.

Thanks for the note.