I Attempt To Open A 66-year-old Bordeaux Blanc With A Rotten Cork

Plus: new releases from Anacréon, Brick House, Élevée & Long Walk Vineyard

I have an interesting and unusual wine cellar. It holds about 2000 bottles (rough guesstimate) and is a treasure trove of wine-related memorabilia – weird bottle shapes, misspelled labels, old maps, wine posters, photographs and pricey gadgets that never do what they are supposed to do. I spend a fair amount of time poking around in it, so it’s as much a man cave/playhouse as anything else. That’s the interesting part.

What makes it unusual is that almost all the bottles are singles. With so many different wines constantly coming in and going out, trying to keep an up-to-date database is beyond my tolerance for managing minutiae. And I am in the cellar often enough that I have a general idea of what is where. If I want a six-year-old Pinot Gris, I know where to look, just not what I’ll find.

The advantage is that my cellar is more than capable of surprising me. There is a treasure hunt aspect to every visit. I go in and start poking around, maybe looking for something, maybe just moving bottles around for the fun of it. Which is how, on one recent excursion, I stumbled upon this.

What is it? That was my first question. Although the label looked almost illegible at first, in fact some key bits of information were still visible after a little careful cleaning. The vintage – 1959. The importer/négociant – Cruse. The appellation – Graves. I also noted that there was no back label whatsoever, further evidence that it may well have been bottled more than six decades ago. And it was labeled as “White Bordeaux Wine”, though judging from the color it could have been dry or sweet.

Where did it come from? How did I lose track of it? Could it be opened without destroying it? And most importantly, if I did succeed in pulling the cork without getting piles of sawdust dropped into the wine, would it be drinkable, or even interesting? While pondering these thoughts I decided it was worth trying to answer at least some of these questions in real time. With the essential help of Mrs. G a three-part video series ensued.

Part One – Welcome To My Wine Cellar

Bottle in hand, I journeyed to my kitchen counter, where I gave it a wipe down, particularly around the capsule. I carefully cut around the capsule rim, loosening it to expose the top of the cork. Woof. Not a promising cork – moldy, mushy and short. Fortunately, there is one perfect tool for such a challenge – the Durand. I’ve recommended this cork-pulling device on my annual holiday gift lists, and even for bottles no more than 15 or 20 years old, it’s the best insurance there is that you’ll be able to extract the cork without causing further problems.

But a 65-year-old cork I’d never tried. So this next video put both me and my Durand to the toughest test yet. And there would be just one chance to do it.

Part Two – Pulling The Cork

As noted in the video, as soon as the cork came out a most inviting bouquet filled the room. I’ve heard this can happen with great bottles of really old wines, but this did not appear to be a great bottle, and it was a white wine besides. Nonetheless the bouquet was instantly delightful, the cork was out with no visible damage to the wine, and with the help of two friends well-versed in fine wines, I dove into the tasting.

Part Three – Tasting The Wine

I think I misspoke when I said it was a 55 - year - old cork – it’s 66 years old, and rather short besides. In fact I’ve never seen a worse looking cork. And yet it did its job, and kudos to the Durand. As for my prediction that the wine might fade within 15 minutes, it did not. We enjoyed our tastes of the old Graves, and I gave the remaining wine, about half a bottle, a shot of the Private Preserve. The bottle then sat on my kitchen counter untouched for another four days. A chance for another extreme test – this time testing Private Preserve.

Believe it or not, after four days the wine was still drinking well. The color had darkened, the bouquet had dissipated and the flavors were concentrated in the finish. But there were wonderful flavors, deep and dark and liquorous and lingering, more nutty than fruity, like an oloroso sherry.

Footnote – I’ve been unable to find out whatever happened to the importer Cruse. There is now a California winery with the same name, but has no connection as far as I can tell to the French firm. Anyone know what happened to Cruse?

Lots of great wines to share with you this week, including some fine values.

Anacréon

All wines are sourced from the Belle Colline (estate) vineyard.

Anacréon 2022 As You Are Chardonnay – It seems as if a constant stream of great Oregon Chardonnay is flowing at the moment, especially from small, family-run estates such as Anacréon. Three clones, 10 months in one quarter new oak, balanced acids and a fine spun core of apple and peach and apricot, lightly accented with threads of caramel. All this at a moderate 12.9% abv, keeping it lively and fresh, aromatic and food-friendly. 190 cases; 12.9%; $65 (Chehalem Mountains) 93/100

Anacréon 2022 The Epicure Chardonnay – This sibling to the previous bottle got picked a little later, ripened a bit further, and given the same 10 months in barrel. Both were whole cluster press wines, and the differences between them seem slight. Here a touch more melon and savory herbs, slightly less new oak influence, same overall balance and freshness. 170 cases; 13.5%; $65 (Chehalem Mountains) 93/100

Anacréon 2022 Deep End Pinot Noir – A brilliant cherry red, aromatically inviting with floral and brown spice notes, this sails into a broad palate with spot-on Pinot Noir fruit flavors. Red and black berries, cherry pit, a hint of sandalwood and more brown spices come together in a solid core, drying out a bit through a lingering finish. 370 cases; 13.7%; $65 (Chehalem Mountains) 93/100

Anacréon 2022 Mine Yours and Ours Pinot Noir – This is two thirds Dijon and one third Coury clone, and one of the three barrels was new. It’s restrained, elegant, a bit shy and astringent when first opened. Brambly berries, red currant and toasted hazelnut components are in play. This should be decanted for at least an hour. 75 cases; 13.3%; $80 (Chehalem Mountains) 92/100

Anacréon 2022 Center of Gravity Pinot Noir – There’s a firm, sturdy authority to this wine, with a muscular profile and earthy aromatics. Dense plum and cherry fruit flavors coalesce around orange peel citrus, fresh mushrooms and a tangle of dried herbs. The depth and density suggest that this will develop quite well if cellared long term – at least a decade and probably longer. Given a couple hours of breathing time it expands both aromatically and in terms of volume. A lovely wine. 75 cases; 13.9%; $90 (Chehalem Mountains) 95/100

Brick House

Some of the current releases from Brick House struck me as a bit uneven. My recommended favorites are profiled here.

Brick House 2023 Gamay Noir – A chewy mix of raspberries and tart marionberries, juicy and fresh. Further impressions bring acai berries and cranberry juice, filling out the mid-palate and leading into a mid-length finish. 190 cases; 13%; $36 (Ribbon Ridge) 91/100

Brick House 2023 Due East Gamay Noir – This block selection has an underlying earthy/funky character, with blocky red fruits holding down the center. It runs from berries to cherries, annotated with a hint of matchstick. Tight, tart and balanced, this has some years of bottle development ahead. 100 cases; 13%; $46 (Ribbon Ridge) 92/100

Brick House 2023 Les Dijonnais Pinot Noir – Estate-grown and biodynamically farmed, this brings a feral edge to red berry flavors filling the palate. A clean, peppery note, buoyed by juicy acids, leads into a mid-length finish with touches of wet stone minerality. The tannins wrap it up with drying flavors of hibiscus tea. 550 cases; 13%; $75 (Ribbon Ridge) 90/100

These last two are scheduled for a Fall ’25 release.

Brick House 2022 Halliday Hill Pinot Noir – Not heavy, but robust, this reserve-level wine has good mid-palate concentration with compact blueberry, blackberry and cassis fruit. It’s framed with lightly earthy tannins, bringing drying tea leaf flavors through a long finish. 100 cases; 13%; $70 (Ribbon Ridge) 92/100

Brick House 2022 Evelyn's Pinot Noir – Evelyn's is a barrel selection, all estate-grown, with lovely marionberry flavors and a hint of pastry. The feral, funky characteristics that often come with biodynamic wines are balanced and restrained here. The pretty, forward core fruit flavors of berry and cherry, with blood orange acids, are focused and pure through a long, clean finish. 175 cases; 13%; $88 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100

From The Cellar

Brick House 2014 Evelyn's Pinot Noir – At 10+ years of age this wine has acquired a sunset hue, and all rough edges are gone. The fruit and barrel components are smoothly integrated, with a lush mix of pastry flavors – apricot jam, blueberry, cherry, a hint of pineapple and more. This has higher alcohol than the newest vintage, and seems riper and more fleshy. There is no doubt that biodynamic wines can age beautifully, retaining their vitality over many years while softening the feral, sometimes rough edges when young. 95/100

Here is my original review (published in 2016)

Brick House 2014 Evelyn’s Pinot Noir – A “best barrel blend” that’s a 50/50 Pommard and Dijon clone mix. The black cherry fruit is framed with a bit more barrel toast than the other Brick House Pinots, having been aged for 18 months in 40% new wood. As with all these wines, it’s impeccably clean, minimally handled and elegantly balanced. Biodynamic farming brings added textural details, lengthens the finish and surprises with its complexity. 680 cases; 14.1%; $68 (Ribbon Ridge) 93/100

Élevée Winegrowers

On a recent visit to the Willamette Valley I spent a relaxed evening with Élevée winegrower/owner Tom Fitzpatrick and his wife France at their home overlooking the vineyard. Besides being one of the nicest, most easy-going wine acquaintances in my orbit, Tom’s expertise is as good as it gets. He holds a Masters in Viticulture & Enology from UC Davis and has made wine at Domaine Hubert Lignier in Morey-St-Denis, as well as stops along the way in Washington, New Zealand and Napa. In Oregon he serves as winemaker and general manager for Alloro. His own brand, Élevée, was established in 2008.

He calls Élevée a “Study in Willamette Valley Terroir”, where each carefully selected vineyard and sub-AVA serves a specific purpose in filling out a survey of the larger AVA. All the vineyards lie between 500 and 600 feet elevation, which is intrinsic to the plan.

Élevée Winegrowers 2022 Björnson Vineyard Pinot Noir – Aromatically complex, this weaves together orchard fruits and accents of pine needles, herbal tea and a hint of fresh cut hay. It’s balanced and firm, with a supple finish that emphasizes the layering of varied components. A near 50/50 mix of Pommard and Dijon 777 clones, aged 11 months in 27% new French oak. 275 cases; 13.9%; $62 (Eola-Amity Hills) 93/100

Élevée Winegrowers 2022 Meredith Mitchell Vineyard Pinot Noir – From 100% Pommard clone grapes grown on volcanic soils, this expresses the clean minerality particular to this small but important AVA, which is also the home to the Momtazi and Robert Brittan vineyards, whose wines this most closely resembles. Dark fruits dominate, with expressive minerality under clean soil flavors. The acids seem amped up here, but were softened up a bit after 24 hours; the extra time also accented the juicy tropical punch fruit flavors. 200 cases; 14%; $74 (McMinnville) 93/100

Élevée Winegrowers 2022 Departure Pinot Noir – Maybe because this is a blend of best barrels selected from all four of the winery’s single vineyard series, it’s the broadest, most instantly accessible, full-bodied wine of the group. Yet Élevée’s single vineyard, single AVA selections are so precise, complete and well made that this blend seems almost superfluous. In the past for many Oregon producers the blended cuvée was often better than the various block and clone selections. I went so far as to suggest that it was more a financial decision to make so many different bottlings when the blend was clearly superior. But things have changed, and the focus and precision of Élevée’s vineyard/AVA focused wines (and they are not unique in that) makes them even more interesting than this broadly flavorful blend. 200 cases; 13.9%; $104 (Willamette Valley) 93/100

Élevée Winegrowers 2022 Élevée Vineyard Pinot Noir – Elegance is the defining characteristic at this estate vineyard just outside the town of Dundee. Raspberry fruit shines through, firmed up with steely acids as the wine glides effortlessly into the back palate replete with chamomile tea-touched tannins. A fine, silky mouthfeel captivates from start to finish. Aging 11 months in 30% new French oak adds a touch of caramel. I love the subtlety, texture and detail of this wine. 225 cases; 13%; $62 (Dundee Hills) 94/100

Élevée Winegrowers 2022 Madrona Hill Vineyard Pinot Noir – A lovely blend of textured berry and cherry fruit, buttressed with acids bringing a touch of blood orange, this introduces accents of dried Italian herbs as it weaves its way across and down through the palate. Along with the supporting acids come light, finishing touches of lemon rind framing the fading finish. It’s a beautiful, textbook Pinot Noir in every way – color, scents, fruit, acids and tannins. Aged 11 months in one third new French oak barrels. 335 cases; 14%; $62 (Laurelwood District) 95/100

Long Walk Vineyard

Long Walk Vineyard 2024 Sauvignon Blanc – This southern Oregon vineyard gets the heat required to make a New Zealand-style, fruit-driven Sauv Blanc. Don’t get me wrong – there’s plenty of acid to underscore the ripe, tart pineapple and grapefruit goodness at the core. Give it a good chill and you’re in business on a hot summer day. 130 cases; 13.5%; $28 (Rogue Valley) 92/100

Long Walk Vineyard 2024 Rosé – Pale copper, bone dry, delicate yet mouthfilling. Organic Cinsault and Mourvèdre grapes comprise this excellent take on a Languedoc style. Strawberries, citrus and melon combine in about equal measure, with mineral-drenched acids boosting the fresh, lively palate. Clean and concentrated, with the freshness of fruit not always found in French rosés, this elegant wine can be enjoyed now and over the next two or three years. 377 cases; 13.2%; $23 (Rogue Valley) 93/100

Long Walk Vineyard 2023 Carignane – The color of Pinot Noir, with low alcohol to match, this is an excellent wine to explore if you love a lighter, aromatic, high acid red. Tart cranberries, strawberries and raspberries fill the palate, with a touch of spice from 10 months in one fifth new French oak. 118 cases; 12.2%; $40 (Rogue Valley) 91/100

Long Walk Vineyard 2023 Zinfandel – Ripe blueberry and cherry fruit, tasting as if cooked down to concentrate the flavors, gives the fruit a pie-filling flavor, complete with baking spices. That said it’s neither heavy nor sweet; rather it’s aromatic, concentrated and almost fleshy. One fifth was aged in new oak. It’s medium bodied, balanced throughout, and already in a fine drinking window. 113 cases; 14.8%; $45 (Rogue Valley) 92/100