Andy Rodker

Andy Rodker deceased

Posted: 01 May 2023


Taken: 01 May 2023

25 favorites     21 comments    147 visits

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Keywords

Bordeaux
claret
half-bottle
Pessac-Graves
1963 vintage
La Mission Haut-Brion


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The best wine I ever drank!

The best wine I ever drank!
La Mission Haut-Brion, 1963 half-bottle.
Faded label.
This wine was found by my Dad in a wine merchant's shop in Brighton. He got it to have with my 30th birthday meal. So it was 25 years old when we opened it, and that was 35 years ago but remembered in perfect detail! (... and so good I kept the bottle, which I very rarely do). So my parents, me and my girlfriend at that time enjoyed two (very) small glasses each - one with the main course (grouse from memory because I can recall helping my mum pluck and draw them) and the other with the cheese.
The surprise to me (and to those of you in the know) is that 1963 is widely considered to be one of the very worst Bordeaux vintages of the 20th century. Nevertheless, La Mission have a reputation for producing great wines even in atrocious years and they excelled themselves with this one!

Erhard Bernstein, Fred Fouarge, Jean Paul Capdeville, Armando Taborda and 21 other people have particularly liked this photo


21 comments - The latest ones
 William Sutherland
William Sutherland club
Outstanding capture of this vintage wine bottle. I envy you on having enjoyed this great wine! Stay well!

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11 months ago.
Andy Rodker club has replied to William Sutherland club
Thank you, William! Having a dad as a wine merchant for a few years certainly helped in this regard!
11 months ago.
 sea-herdorf
sea-herdorf club
Dein Vater hat sicher dazu beigetragen, daß aus Dir ein Weinexperte geworden ist, Andy.
Sicher eine sehr schöne Erinnerung für Dich.
Schöne Grüße und eine gute Woche
Erich
11 months ago.
 Jaap van 't Veen
Jaap van 't Veen club
Cheers !!
11 months ago.
 Anton Cruz Carro
Anton Cruz Carro club
The older the better the wine, and if it is shared it is the most precious moment that can be enjoyed. Warm greetings, Anton.
11 months ago.
 Rosalyn Hilborne
Rosalyn Hilborne club
It must have been good to bring back all of those happy memories Andy.
Excellent picture and story.
11 months ago.
 Keith Burton
Keith Burton club
A lovely photo and a great story Andy. I love how just one photo can bring back so many memories!
11 months ago.
 Robert Swanson
Robert Swanson club
Superb selection, excellent photo.
11 months ago.
 Jenny McIntyre
Jenny McIntyre club
Wow it must have been incredible then, if you've kept the bottle and can remember so much that went on that day. I'm not much into wine, so I wouldn't know how old the wine should be to taste best. I've just added up your age and am really surprised, as I'd imagined you in your 30's, as you are so energetic and helping out your parents etc. So you certainly don't sound like someone who's in their middle 60's.
11 months ago.
Andy Rodker club has replied to Jenny McIntyre club
You flatter me, Jenny!
11 months ago.
 Peter_Private_Box
Peter_Private_Box club
Hi Andy
A wonderful and interesting picture, and great memory for you.
Sadly, I'm not a wine expert, but the main thing is that you enjoyed it!
Best Wishes, Happy Tuesday, a nice week ahead, and stay safe!!
Peter
11 months ago.
 Andy Rodker
Andy Rodker club
No-one has mentioned the backdrop, which is either hideous or striking, perhaps both. It's an old cushion (I'm sitting on it as I type this) which was chosen by an old girlfriend of mine so has memories, just as the wine does too! Thank you everyone!
11 months ago. Edited 11 months ago.
 Rosalyn Hilborne
Rosalyn Hilborne club
I had curtains like that in the 1990's Andy. At that time I would call it striking :-))
11 months ago.
 Gabi Lombardo
Gabi Lombardo club
a great souvenir!
11 months ago.
 tiabunna
tiabunna club
I'm impressed that you can remember both the wine and the meal after all these years, Andy. Clearly both were very special. I must admit my interest was on the wine rather than the backdrop. :-)
11 months ago.
 Andy Rodker
Andy Rodker club
Gabi,
George,
Thank you both!
11 months ago.
 Nouchetdu38
Nouchetdu38 club
*******************************************
11 months ago.
 Armando Taborda
Armando Taborda club
...it's a museum piece...
11 months ago.
Andy Rodker club has replied to Armando Taborda club
That's one way of putting it! Thank you Armando!
11 months ago.
 Jean Paul Capdeville
Jean Paul Capdeville club
Tu as raison: une grande appellation Bordelaise . Lorsque j'étais jeune ma niece habitait tout prés des vignes du Haut Brion. Que de souvenirs aussi. Mais ,j'y pense; ce goût affirmé pour le bon vin et la bonne cuisine, tu n'aurais pas des origines Périgourdines ?
11 months ago.
Andy Rodker club has replied to Jean Paul Capdeville club
Thank you Jean Paul!
No (but I understand why you might think so!). Simply a mother with a great tradition of English farmhouse cooking behind her going back generations and an interest in cuisine from all round the world which I inherited from her (and of course including French, where I worked in a few restaurants in Lyon and in Provence - and not just 'faire la plonge!) .. and a father who has always had an interest in wine which we got into as children drinking watered down wine as I know do French children! My parents opened a well-regarded wine shop which added extra spice to the overall theme we're discussing here!
11 months ago. Edited 11 months ago.

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