Best Red Wine 1949
As with any wine this old, we must begin with a disclaimer that at age 60 there are no great wines – only great bottles. I’ve been very fortunate to taste all the below from reliable, long-standing cellars, but approach any kind of purchase here with great caution. Not only do you need to know the wine you are buying has been stored properly, but authenticity is going to be a real issue as well. That said, these are all legend-caliber wines, any of which can leave a taster inspired.
Why it's best:
’49 Vogue Musigny commands a fierce price and with very good reason. This easily holds a place in the top 5 wines I have ever tasted, though I’ve only had one authentic bottle of this wine and two delicious counterfeits. Beware the large-format bottlings of this ... read full review
Why it's a best pick:
While other critics will rate some of the other Chateaux more highly than Cheval Blanc, I have found that this is not only the highest quality bordeaux for the vintage, it is also the most consistent. Sexy cabernet franc fruit is displayed on an impossibly dense but well-bal...
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Why it's a best pick:
Widely regarded as the wine of the vintage, perfect bottles make a compelling argument. Though some examples still hold unresolved tannins, it is nonetheless an impressive effort from one of Bordeaux’s most justifiably famous estates. Monumentally structured, don&rsquo...
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Why it's a best pick:
I worry for the one example of this wine I have tasted. While it was almost certifiably authentic, it was also impossibly young! Tannic, masculine and impressive, this would probably be the wine I purchased to celebrate another 2 decades in the hope it would reach peak matur...
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