1955 Siran

Tasted at the vertical held at the property, this was actually the second time that I have tasted the 1955 Château Siran within 12 months; the first was a magnum at the Academie du Vin dinner the previous April. Next to the 1947 Siran, the 1955 certainly appears more mature with thicker bricking on the rim. However, the bouquet is just as entrancing with captivating menthol-like aromas that almost make you think about some of those old great Penfolds wines that Max Schubert made in the 1950s. The palate is medium-bodied with quite a structured opening: cedar mixed with leather, dried black fruit, a touch of cigar at the back of the throat. Last year's double-magnum of 1955 bestowed more fruit and this regular bottle feels more advanced - no surprise there. It still offers vestiges of pleasure, more so aromatically than on the palate. A worthy 60-year-old Margaux, bottles should be drunk soon; larger formats may be at the same level as the one I chanced upon in Bordeaux. Tasted February 2016.