Tastingbook tasted top wines from 1947 and 1945 (66 wines tasted)

1. Château Lafleur 1947 99p

2. Château Margaux 1947 98p

3. Château Cheval Blanc 1947 98p

4.Château Pétrus 1947 97p

5. Château Ausone 1947 97p

6. Château Petrus 1945 95p

7. Château d’Yquem 1947 95p

8. Château Léoville las Cases 1945 95p

9. Château Margaux 1945 94p

10. Dom Pérignon 1947 94p

Year 1947 This year produced some of the greatest win...

The best vintage in the world – 1947 or 1945? Tastingbook has tasted all the best wines from these two great vintages.

If wine producers from different regions were asked to name the best vintages in their wine history, most would name 1947 or 1945 as one of the greats. If we then compared them, there would probably only be one vintage that most, if not all, producers had named on the list – 1947.

We wanted to test this theory and we tasted them against each other and the winner was 1947 – by a long shot.

The 1947 vintage was a magical vintage. It goes down in history as one of the only vintages that all the well-established quality wine regions in the world were blessed with superb weather conditions. Heatwaves have been experienced all over the world and, for example, all of Europe was blazing under the blazing sun and experiencing a heatwave during the summer. This resulted in very concentrated and very ripe grapes. Growers found it difficult to handle very ripe grapes with high sugar levels because there was a constant risk of bacterial contamination in less hygienic wineries that did not have artificial cooling systems. Since there was no technology to use, many relied on huge blocks of ice to cool the room temperature and even put ice in their fermentation tanks.

This vintage has proven to produce very long-lasting wines from around the world. The wines are marked by a sweet, ripe fruit character and warming alcohol. Due to unhygienic winemaking facilities, many wines exhibit volatile characters. Some might find this a flaw, but for many mature wine lovers, this feature is even a favorite character. However, when purchasing wines from this vintage one should be aware that there is a high level of bottle variation and the risk of having highly volatile wines is remarkably high.

1945 was an exceptional year throughout France, from Côte-Rôtie to Bordeaux. Due to the hot and dry conditions, the grapes were very concentrated and produced an extraordinary, but unfortunately low, yield. The 1945 harvest was an early harvest, beginning on the same date as 1982, September 13. The wines started life with massive levels of tannin and took several decades to develop. Due to the high levels of tannins, many wines still show well today.

Port Vintage Report: Classic Vintage, full-bodied, deep purple and sweet, with a large concentration of fruit and tannins. First post-War Vintage. Bottled in Portugal, owing to English restrictions. Almost all producers declared production. Low production year. Dry year, with a very hot summer, and only a few rains at the end of August. Early harvests, starting in the first half of September.

The end of the war was celebrated with what turned out to be an exceptional vintage: 1945. This can be seen as the beginning of the rise of quality Bordeaux wines.

This vintage of the century, 1945, was already showing signs of greatness at the start of the harvest. The growing season started early in Bordeaux, but a severe frost in May took a large percentage of the harvest. After the frost, the situation improved and conditions improved. The small crop ripened early, allowing harvest to begin on September 10.

The red wines are, however, majestic creatures, which have matured at an exceptionally slow pace due to the heavy tannin structure and are now eminently drinkable. The vintage turned out to be even better on the left bank. The wine of this particular vintage is undoubtedly the Mouton-Rothschild, although Château d’Yquem challenges the Mouton with its brilliance.

In the race for third place, the two strongest candidates are Haut-Brion and Pétrus.

1945 was also an exceptional year throughout France, from Côte-Rôtie to Bordeaux. Due to the hot and dry conditions, the grapes were very concentrated and produced an extraordinary, but unfortunately low, yield. The 1945 harvest was an early harvest, beginning on the same date as 1982, September 13. The wines started life with massive levels of tannin and took several decades to develop. Due to the high levels of tannins, many wines still show well today.

From the point of view of Bordeaux winemakers, the 1940s can be considered a bittersweet decade. Although Nazi-occupied Bordeaux was spared the devastation caused by the war, life under occupation was uncertain, mixed with fear and oppression. Where the horrors of war have left bitter memories, nature has perhaps given Bordeaux its most beautiful decade ever. At least if we consider legendary wines. It was this decade that produced two of the most renowned wines: the 1945 Mouton-Rothschild and the 1947 Cheval Blanc. Additionally, the Mouiex family put the Pomerol region on the map in 1945, when they obtained the rights exclusive sales of Pétrus.

1945

Following the effects of polio as a young man, President Roosevelt died on April 12, 1945. After Germany's defeat in early 1945, the war officially ended in Europe on May 7, 1945 (day of Victory in Europe). President Harry S. Truman orders the use of new nuclear bombs developed by (Robert Oppenheimer's team) first an atomic bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" on Hiroshima, Japan, and after the 2nd atomic bomb nicknamed "Fat Man » over the city of Nagasaki, Japan 5 days later, Japan surrendered on August 14, 1945 (V-J Day).

 Petrus 1945 by John Kapon

For many years now, I have heard the story of this particular batch of 1945 Petrus.  When Wilf Jaeger tells you that it is the best bottle that he’s ever had, it’s hard not to listen.  It just so happens this batch rested comfortably in the ‘Imperial Cellar’ for many years, and for most of those many years I had to hear Wilf tell me over and over how great it was, digging my desire a little bit deeper with each recollection of their magical evening, which also saw 1945 Trotanoy as a distinguished runner-up.  

Low and behold, the last four bottles turned up in our record-setting May auction, and immediately after the sale, I made my move on the buyer, who happened to be the top buyer of the sale.  I asked if we could share one together, my treat, as I had to have this bottle before it disappeared forever like that girl you never asked out in high school.  I was determined for that not to happen again.  Call me a cork dork if you must .

My first evening in Hong Kong this past week saw the 1945 Petrus make its way to the dinner table, at long last.  First, we started with a 1955 Leroy Mazis Chambertin, a generous contribution from my newfound best friend.  The Leroy had a truffly, mushroomy, sous bois nose at first, with some dirty earth and soupy bouillon followed by secondary rose and citrus aromas.  Its acidity was still extraordinary, and my host told me after my first sip the story of how one evening, this bottle showed even better than all the top Bordeaux, including a 1947 Cheval Blanc.  ‘The power of Burgundy,’ I wrote to myself.  The wine got better and better with each sip, shedding some of its dirt to reveal chocolaty flavors with borders of various nuts.  Hints of tomato joined the trifecta of citrus, chocolate and earth flavors, and the wine fleshed out in the glass as well.  However, it couldn’t top the Bordeaux that would follow on this night, and possibly even suffered a point accordingly (94).

Five years in my making, and sixty-five years in the bottle, it was finally time for this 1945 Petrus.  This was an original, no doubt about it bottle.  Perfection came to mind upon first whiff, as its nose was a kaleidoscope of greatness, as if every great quality from all the Pomerols I’ve ever had were right there in my glass.  Aromas of plum, chocolate and royal garden marched into my nose with style and precision.  Fine was an understatement, as its elegance and breed were of an Olympic equestrian level, carrying over to its fruit, which was elegant but at the same time beyond wealthy.  Its concentration was golden, as in bars not bracelets.  I could not get over its density, both in the nose and on the palate.  The 1945 was all that and then some, and it seduced me like a gorgeous woman whispering in my ear, ‘I’ll be whatever you want me to be.’  Its color was still dark and vibrant; this wine could last another fifty years without issue.  Its royal garden qualities upgraded to Versailles status, and flavors of mocha abounded on its dense and deft palate, with nice traces of chalk on its finish.  There were pinches of wild herbs emerging, in a rosemary meets wheat way, as well as a baked goodness in a coconut direction, but not quite coconut.  Our sommelier noted, ‘strawberry.’  The chef at Otto E Mezzo, Hong Kong’s version of Mario Batali, gushed that it was ‘so young and so healthy.’  What was so great about this bottle, and this vintage for the Right Bank in general, is that it still possessed a tension to its fruit, unlike 1947, which produced concentrated and much sweeter wines in general.  I can only hope to taste this nectar again in my lifetime, but I strongly suspect that it will be difficult to achieve the heights that this bottle achieved.  It touched my soul (99+).

It was a nice warm-up for the week that followed, a casual Monday that was anything but.  It’s Hong Kong, they drink it.

FIN

JK

Depuis de nombreuses années, j’entends l’histoire de ce lot particulier de Petrus de 1945. Quand Wilf Jaeger vous dit que c’est la meilleure bouteille qu’il ait jamais eue, il est difficile de ne pas écouter. Il se trouve que ce lot a reposé confortablement dans la « cave impériale » pendant de nombreuses années, et pendant la plupart de ces nombreuses années, j’ai dû entendre Wilf et Eric me dire encore et encore à quel point c’était génial, creusant un peu plus mon désir à chaque souvenir de leur soirée magique, qui a également vu Trotanoy 1945 comme finaliste distingué.

Et voilà, les quatre dernières bouteilles sont apparues lors de notre vente aux enchères record de mai, et immédiatement après la vente, j’ai fait mon geste sur l’acheteur, qui se trouvait être le principal acheteur de la vente. J’ai demandé si nous pouvions en partager une ensemble, mon régal, car je devais avoir cette bouteille avant qu’elle ne disparaisse à jamais comme cette fille que vous n’avez jamais demandée au lycée. J’étais déterminé à ce que cela ne se reproduise plus. Appelez-moi un ordeur de liège si vous devez J.

Ma première soirée à Hong Kong la semaine dernière a vu le Petrus de 1945 se rendre enfin à table. Tout d’abord, nous avons commencé avec un Leroy Mazis Chambertin de 1955, une généreuse contribution de mon nouveau meilleur ami. Le Leroy avait d’abord un nez truffé, champignon, sous bois, avec un peu de terre sale et de bouillon moelleux suivi d’arômes secondaires de rose et d’agrumes. Son acidité était encore extraordinaire, et mon hôte m’a raconté après ma première gorgée l’histoire de la façon dont un soir, cette bouteille montrait encore mieux que tous les meilleurs Bordeaux, y compris un Cheval Blanc 1947. « Le pouvoir de la Bourgogne », me suis-je écrit. Le vin devenait de mieux en mieux à chaque gorgée, perdant une partie de sa saleté pour révéler des saveurs chocolatées avec des bordures de diverses noix. Des notes de tomate ont rejoint le trio de saveurs d’agrumes, de chocolat et de terre, et le vin étoffé dans le verre. Cependant, il n’a pas pu dépasser le Bordeaux qui suivrait cette nuit-là, et a peut-être même subi un point en conséquence (94).

Cinq ans dans ma fabrication, et soixante-cinq ans dans la bouteille, il était enfin temps pour ce Petrus de 1945. C’était une bouteille originale, sans aucun doute à ce sujet. La perfection m’est venue à l’esprit dès la première bouffée, car son nez était un kaléidoscope de grandeur, comme si toutes les grandes qualités de tous les Pomerols que j’ai jamais mangés étaient là dans mon verre. Des arômes de prune, de chocolat et de jardin royal me pénétraient dans le nez avec style et précision. Fine était un euphémisme, car son élégance et sa race étaient d’un niveau équestre olympique, se répercutant sur son fruit, qui était élégant mais en même temps au-delà de la richesse. Sa concentration était dorée, comme dans les barres et non dans les bracelets. Je n’arrivais pas à surmonter sa densité, tant au nez qu’au palais. Le 1945 était tout cela et puis plus, et il m’a séduit comme une femme magnifique qui me murmure à l’oreille: « Je serai ce que vous voulez que je sois. » Sa couleur était encore sombre et vibrante; Ce vin pourrait durer encore cinquante ans sans issue. Ses qualités de jardin royal ont été élevées au statut de Versailles, et les saveurs de moka abondaient sur son palais dense et habile, avec de belles traces de craie sur sa finale. Il y avait des pincées d’herbes sauvages émergeant, à la manière du romarin et du blé, ainsi qu’une douceur cuite dans le sens de la noix de coco, mais pas tout à fait de la noix de coco. Notre sommelier a noté « fraise ». Le chef d’Otto E Mezzo, la version hongkongaise de Mario Batali, s’est extasié sur le fait qu’il était « si jeune et si sain ». Ce qui était si génial avec cette bouteille, et ce millésime pour la rive droite en général, c’est qu’elle possédait encore une tension à son fruit, contrairement à 1947, qui produisait des vins concentrés et beaucoup plus doux en général. Je ne peux qu’espérer goûter à nouveau ce nectar de mon vivant, mais je soupçonne fortement qu’il sera difficile d’atteindre les hauteurs que cette bouteille a atteintes. Cela a touché mon âme (99+).