Costing just $4. 82 back then, with 11.5% alcohol, this 49 year-old Bordeaux scored 17 points on the Dionysian scale of a possible 20. The 1970 Grand Vin de Chateau Saint-Paul Cru Exceptionnel from the Haut-Medoc was special. It was soft after decanting. Very light school-house brick in color with an amber edge. It was a great vintage, but a basic area for its home.

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Served with London-broil and grilled veggies, the wine was the feature of the evening. As I try to reduce my cellar, I find that well-aged old wines make a simple evening meal a very special event.

This was one Dionysian Dr. Michael Segarra would have loved. Cigar box, leather, cavendish tobacco, graphite, and cooked plum rose from the glass. Thee was half an inch sediment. This wine proves you don’t need excessive alcohol for wines to age; quite to the contrary, high alcohol table wines fall apart quickly. It was all gone before it began to fade.

You’ve got to love the price. It’s worth about $90 today, making the four bucks well spent.  In Vino Veritas.