Costing under $14 back then, with 14% alcohol, the 1981 Gevrey-Chambertin from Jean Duport scored 15+ points on the Dionysian scale.

It was a weak vintage and not meant to last long. The ’81’s from Burgundy all seemed to peak early. At 39 years old, this was the vintage of my daughter-in-law’s birth-year.

The color was still garnet cherry with an amber edge fading into brown. It had cherry pit aromas and it showed the oak. It seems a bit high on the acid, but with food, it turned out to be fine.

Served with grilled steak, the meat help show off the wine’s flavors instead of working the other way.

The Burgundy still showed Pinot Noir notes and the bottle was covered inside with sediment stuck to the glass. Aging wines is always an adventure and I’m glad I kept this one. This wine first scored just a 15, but after opening in the glass, it deserved another half point.In Vino Veritas