Wine vintage rating 1959
1959 was consistently an excellent vintage in all classic wine regions. Most famous of course in Bordeaux. Consistent above-average warm weather. Little rain, i.e. drought stress for the vines, which results in an enormous variety of aromas in the wine. The warmth naturally leads to a lower acidity - the high maturity, density, intensity and smoothness of the wines is typical of the best representatives. The 1959 vintage is somewhat similar to the top vintages of 1982, 1990 and 2009.
Because 1959 is all about the Bordeaux wines of the century, good bottles at affordable prices are now in short supply. Sometimes there is a temptation to accept bottles of moderate quality (with a bad fill level). But perhaps it would be wiser to take advantage of the fact that Burgundy and Piedmont also achieved excellent results. Reliable bottles from producers who were already reliable back then are a sensible alternative.
Weather in the year 1959
Good filling levels, good wine quality
Of course, the good condition of a wine from an old vintage depends on excellent storage. Above all, the wine must not have frequently changed cellars. Ideally, the wine will have rested in one and the same wine cellar.
But also the cork that sits in each individual bottle is very important. A perfect cork has few pores and keeps the wine stable. If an inferior cork happens to have been used in a bottle, the porous surface will begin to soak up wine and allow micro-quantities of the liquid to evaporate over the decades. Poor fill levels are the result.
A poor fill level therefore also indicates a high risk that the wine bottle could soon begin to leak.
The fill levels explained:
In the bottle neck (high fill to base neck) about 2 cm is perfect for wines.
Top and upper shoulder, ([very] top shoulder), approx. 3 cm is very good for very old wines.
Medium shoulder (mid shoulder), about 4 cm is only acceptable for rare top wines and in individual cases.
Everything below the red line should not be offered any more.