1959 La Tache

This impeccably cellared bottle of the 1959 La Tâche Grand Cru had never left Burgundy, and it underlined the importance of provenance for wines of this age: while some reports suggest that this wine is tiring, this example was at its absolute zenith. Soaring from the glass with a deep and profound bouquet of raspberries, cherries and plum preserve mingled with notions of Asian spice, candied peel, musk and peonies, the wine is full-bodied, textural and enveloping, with an abundance of opulent fruit that's the vintage's calling card, underpinned by velvety tannins and ripe acids. The 1959 is an exquisite, sensual La Tâche, and this bottle (number 15768) numbered among the most thrilling wines I drank in 2019.