Old bottle are always fun.  Sometimes they work out, other times, not so much.  This bottle had a very low fill.  Below the shoulders and near the top of the label.  The cork was removed using a Durand.  It virtually exploded as it escaped the bottle.  very little integrity.  The bottle was decanted for sediment and pieces of cork, checked right away, but allowed to breathe for a while.  It turned out the wine continued to improve in the decanter for at least 30 minutes as it blew off the bottle stink and gained some strength.  Ruby/brown in color.  The nose has some mushrooms, some fresh mulch but also some perfumed cherries.  Overall, a nice nose is old.  On the palate, this has some cherry fruit.  The midpalate is a bit hollow, but then the finish has some tart cherries.  An underlying earthiness is pronounced but the wine overall is alive.  For a wine with questionable storage, at age 51, and not a great vintage, this one was ok.  Certainly worth drinking a glass.  

Grade: 
B
Score: 
87
Vintage: 
1967