Pomerol

All the more surprising, then, when you pour a thirty-five-year-old glass and it's still positively ruby. On the nose, I catch sour cherry, these tangy Nordic berry hints, even a whiff of fresh blood and vegetable notes, along with crushed gravel, old leather, tobacco leaf, and a touch of prune. Structurally, it's on the firmer side---yes, there are clues it's been around the block, but there's also youthful energy beneath the surface. The whole thing oddly reminds me of Tondonia Reserva from a younger vintage (let's say 2011). Delicious, fascinating, but I don't see myself stocking up. That said, it's a small testament to how some wines can gracefully sidestep time's usual grip, staying alive and---somehow---still kicking.