Professor Bainbridge...on law, politics, religion, culture & food

Chateau Gruaud-Larose (St. Julien) 1961

At age 45, this wine was not just alive but vibrant; indeed, almost youthful. Decanted just before serving (off an immense amount of sediment), it opened and evolved in the glass and was still going strong over an hour later. A bright ruby color, albeit with substantial brick at the rim. In the glass, it was a limpid garnet pool, yet with strong legs. The powerful bouquet flooded the room with scents of prunes, leather, and pencil shavings. On the palate, there was still a ton of fruit - prunes, dried red and black currants, and even some cherry. Of course, it also offered the flavors of a fully mature claret: leather, tobacco, and cedar. Considering its age, the depth and complexity of this wine was incredibly impressive. One of the finest wines I've been privileged to taste. Grade: A+

As a match for quail stuffed with foie gras, the 61 Gruaud-Larose succeeded more at the psychological than the physiological level. To be sure, and somewhat surprisingly, the wine still had enough acidity and tannic backbone to slice through the richness of the foie gras. Even so, the wine and the food didn't really complement each other, but rather maintained their individuality. Instead, it  was the psychology of matching an extravagantly expensive wine with a decadently rich meal that worked.