I bought 6 bottles of Ch. Margaux 1959 in the mid 1970s and it has been properly stored since bought. This is the 4th bottle that I have opened. This wine was imported from Walter Siegel Ltd. in London rather than directly from Bordeaux on release. The bottle just opened had a very high shoulder fill and the remaining 2 bottles have a low neck fill. There were no cork or other issues for the bottle opened, and, to my surprise, the cork for this 50 year old wine came out in one piece.
The color still is fairly intense with a touch of orange around the rim. There is a touch of brick to the scarlet color. The wine is fully mature and has been for many years. It likely will last several more years. The wine is complex in bouquet and taste with the usual red Bordeaux fruit with hints of a light roast coffee and something floral. The tannins are resolved and not too dry. The wine is very well balanced and has a long finish.
There have been reports that some bottles of 1959 Ch. Margaux have not developed so well. Michael Broadbent in a book reported that about 6 bottles out of about 29 tasted were disappointing to poor and the wines that did not show so well mostly had low fills(perhaps due to poor storage?) or cork problems. However he gave the wine his top rating when such issues were not present.
Is the 1959 or 1961 Ch. Margaux the better wine? Broadbent often liked the 61 more than the 59, but in some cases he liked the 59 better. In a wine this old, bottle variation likely is rather important.