Ducks and Economics

I was fortunate enough to taste the following two wines yesterday:

1961 Chateau Batailley: this wine is produced in Pauillac, Bordeaux from 136 acres of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, and merlot. The wine was remarkably fresh and youthful and sediment-free, with a brick-red ruby color and intense aromatics. This was a wine that was excellently balanced and well composed with notes of herbs, redcurrants, spice, kirsch, berry compote, and hints of vanilla. The chateau is a fifth growth by classification and Robert Parker rated the 1961 bottling 84 points, though I think the wine was substantially better.

1994 Philip Togni Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa: Togni is one of those legendary names in California wines. Typically he does not release his wines until 10 years after they are bottled, although that has changed over the last few years. It is a ringer for high-end Bordeaux, which was my initial guess on a blind tasting. I think Parker rates the wine 94-97 points; I thought the wine was superb,  with notes of spice, mint and more black fruit than the ’61 Batailley I tasted right before.