Continuing with our trials with old bottles being sold in sales, opened
>a bottle of 1979 Mercurey (Chateau Philippe-le-Hardi of Santenay) the >other day.
>
>The only reason we bought it even though one says that Mercurey should
>be drunk within 5 years at the maximum was that at 8 Euros a bottle, it
>sounded like a fun experiment.
>
>Clear, pale ruby pink in colour. Normal-to-heavy viscosity.
>
>Upon opening the bottle, the first pour had no aroma whatsoever. Well,
>it was quite cool in our kitchen (where the bottle stood for a day to
>help the siginificant amount of sediment settle) and the pour had
>stayed bottled for longer than I could do my own hair.
>
>So we decided to pour half into a decanter for 15 minutes and warmed
>the poured glass with our palms and aggressive swirling. That coaxed
>some pleasant fruit smell (cherry) with a earthy undertone.
>
>We finished preparing the dinner and poured a couple of glasses. It was
>now that the appeal of wine hit us. Attractive aroma of cherries and
>mango (!) with plenty of earth.
>
>Medium-to-full-bodied flavour consistent with the aroma. Very balanced
>acidity (more in the MSR-Riesling-mode than typical Burgundy) and soft
>earthy tannins in the aftertaste.
>
>All-in-all a very fine wine with a rich nose and flavour, even at this >age.
>
>Went very, very well with Dorade poached in herbs.
>
>I wish I had bought a few more bottles in the sale.
>
>Cheers