Les Grands Chais St Michel — Tangara Bordeaux Supérieur 1953

Opened for a 1953 vintage tasting on the occasion of a 70th birthday celebration, this Bordeaux Supérieur 'Tangara' from Les Grands Chais St Michel — an obscure historical Bordeaux négociant I had never heard of before — turned out to be the greatest surprise of the evening. Four wines from 1953 were lined up: a Volnay from Mommessin and a Cassevert (the second wine of Château Grand Mayne) were sadly no longer drinkable, while a Beaune from Patriarche Père et Fils was surprisingly good, especially in terms of colour and on the palate. But this simple, no-name négociant Bordeaux Supérieur outshone them all. At seventy years of age, it was still really enjoyable — a remarkable testament to the quality of the 1953 vintage in Bordeaux and proof that great old wine doesn't always need a famous label.