Wine vintage rating 1964
1964 Grand St.Emilion and Pomerol Year. There are vintages where the differences within the wine region from community to community are clear. With hail and rain, with frost, local differences can be easily explained. The different quality between the Bordeaux appellations of the left bank (MĂ©doc) and the right bank (St.Emilion and Pomerol) in a year like 1964 has another reason. The dominant grape variety in MĂ©doc is Cabernet Sauvignon, while St. Emilion and Pomerol are dominated by the Merlot grape variety. Merlot ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. In 1964, at the time of the harvest, heavy rain began when Merlot had already been harvested, while the other grape varieties in the vineyards suffered greatly.

Weather in the year 1964

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.