Chateau Les Forts De Latour 1970

As a child I ate good old English food (no comments yet..please).
My mum cooked well...and we ate the traditional foods. When I got married and moved to Germany..I was lucky to have a wife who was a great cook..so there were no withdrawal symptoms that many 'sons' have to go through. One of my childhood favourites was Steak & Kidney pie.My wife got the recipe from my mum..and has made it in her style over the years.As my mum was visiting..it was time to see and taste whether she would pass the test.(not really..they get on so well..and my mum knows that Eva is a great cook).
Back to the traditional English food..which has been the butt of many jokes since the motorway restaurants opened. Stews, pies and other 100 year old menus can be a delight..if cooked properly with fresh food...and a great marriage with fine wines.

What to drink..well..a 100 years ago it would have been a Bordeaux.. so why not tonight...I thought I had a bottle of Latour 1970 until recently..then saw it to be the baby brother..made from younger wines..and I have drank various vintages in my early (wine-wise) years. The 1971 on a wine list in a Bordeaux restaurant.. was consumed nightly.
The wine was opened one hour in advance and decanted. The only way to open older bottles is with a hand job...no screwpull or similar..
I removed the lead capsule..which seemed to be sitting into the bottle a little!.....
and with good reason..where was the cork?
It was halfway down the neck showing well into the shoulder. On no.. am I gonna get a bottle of vinegar.? In this case the cork-screw could have been any type..as long as it helped push the cork into the bottle. The decanter and strainer had been prepared so I pushed the cork into the bottle letting the wine flow through the strainer into the decanter. The aroma I caught allayed my fears..all was well.




Chateau Les Forts De Latour 1970
Pauillac, Bordeaux
The wine was holding up particularly well, clear deep dark with an orange rim; usual tobacco, cigar box, cedary nose..'manly' Pauillac. Full of life, mature, soft, earthy flavours..lean and good acidity. This is from younger vines and had a greenness which has faded. Very good..and at best with the food.
Points 17.5