1987 Vintage Wines — A Rare, Selective and Highly Symbolic Year

Buying a 1987 wine means choosing a mature bottle, ideal as an anniversary bottle, a birth-year wine or a prestigious gift. The 1987 vintage should, however, be selected with care: it is not a consistently great vintage, and provenance, wine type and bottle condition are essential.

The best options are mainly found in vintage Champagnes from major houses, 1987 vintage Armagnacs, 1987 Colheita Ports, selected great wines from Piedmont and a few rare top bottles of Bordeaux or Sauternes in excellent condition.

What Is the Style of 1987 Wines?

The 1987 vintage is a contrasted year, often more interesting for its symbolic value than for power or overall consistency. Still wines can be light, evolved or already fragile, especially when they come from regions less favoured by the vintage.

The best 1987 bottles can nevertheless offer mature charm, with notes of dried fruit, forest floor, fine leather, tobacco, sweet spices, honey, walnut, caramel and tertiary aromas. For this vintage, producer selection and bottle storage are decisive.

Champagne 1987: An Anniversary Option to Select Carefully

Champagne 1987 can be an interesting option for an anniversary bottle, especially when it comes from a major house, a serious cuvée or a well-stored magnum. At this age, provenance, colour, fill level and storage conditions are particularly important.

The best mature 1987 Champagnes can evoke ripe apple, dried fruit, brioche, hazelnut, honey, wax, candied citrus and toasted evolution. They are suited to lovers of mature, gastronomic and fully evolved Champagne.

Buying priority: high for major houses, recognised cuvées, magnums and perfectly stored bottles.

1987 Armagnac and Colheita Port: The Most Reassuring Alternatives

For a 1987 bottle, a 1987 vintage Armagnac or a 1987 Colheita Port can be among the safest choices. These styles generally withstand decades better than many dry wines and offer strong symbolic value for a birth year.

A 1987 Armagnac or Port can evoke walnut, dried fig, caramel, cocoa, coffee, prune, candied orange, sweet spices, blond tobacco and noble wood. These are particularly suitable options for anniversary gifts when reliable drinking quality is desired.

Buying priority: very high when the producer, bottling information and provenance are clearly identified.

Piedmont 1987: A Few Fine Bottles from Good Producers

Piedmont 1987 can offer a few interesting bottles, especially Barolo 1987 and Barbaresco 1987 from serious producers. The vintage is not as sought after as the great Nebbiolo years, but well-stored bottles can still offer a delicate mature tasting experience.

The best wines can develop notes of dried cherry, faded rose, fine leather, tobacco, liquorice, black tea, forest floor, spices and balsamic nuances. Selection should focus on top producers, correct levels and bottles with reliable provenance.

Buying priority: medium to high for top producers and perfectly stored bottles.

Red Bordeaux 1987: Buy with Caution

1987 red Bordeaux is a delicate category. The vintage does not have the depth of great long-ageing years, and many wines are now light, evolved or tired. Buying should therefore focus on great names, consistent levels and well-stored bottles.

The best examples may evoke light blackcurrant, cedar, tobacco, fine leather, dried herbs, forest floor and sweet spices. These are more bottles of symbolism and collection than wines to seek for power.

Appellations and examples to consider with caution:

• Pauillac 1987 — To be considered from top châteaux only, depending on level, colour and provenance.
• Pomerol and Saint-Émilion 1987 — Worth considering from the best estates and well-stored bottles.
• Margaux, Saint-Julien and Graves 1987 — Reserved for lovers of soft, evolved old Bordeaux.

Buying priority: low to medium; medium only for great names and impeccable bottles.

Sauternes 1987: Very Selective, with a Few Exceptions

Sauternes 1987 should be approached with caution. The vintage was difficult for sweet wines, and several estates either did not produce or made highly variable wines. A few great names may still be interesting when the bottle is perfectly stored.

The best examples may evoke honey, dried apricot, candied orange, wax, sweet spices, tea and dried fruits. When buying, colour, fill level, absence of excessive oxidation and provenance should be checked carefully.

Buying priority: medium for top estates; low for ordinary or poorly documented bottles.

Burgundy 1987: A Limited Selection

Burgundy 1987 should be selected with caution. Red wines are generally worth considering only from the best domaines and when storage conditions are excellent. Modest bottles may now be fragile or tired.

The best examples can evoke dried cherry, faded rose, sweet spices, light forest floor and damp earth. Priority should be given to recognised domaines, clear provenance and bottles in very good condition.

Buying priority: low to medium; more interesting for top domaines and perfectly stored bottles.

Buying a 1987 Wine: Key Points to Check

When buying a 1987 bottle, wine type and storage are especially important. Some bottles can still offer a beautiful emotional experience, but modest or poorly stored wines may now be disappointing.

• Wine type: prioritise Champagne, Armagnac, Colheita Port, top Italian producers and rare great dry bottles.
• Level: look for high fill levels that are consistent with the age of the wine.
• Colour: avoid wines with an abnormally brown, dull, cloudy or overly oxidised appearance.
• Capsule and cork: check for seepage, corrosion or weakened corks.
• Provenance: favour known cellars, documented lots and bottles stored in good conditions.

Serving Advice for a 1987 Bottle

A mature bottle from 1987 should be handled with care. It is advisable to stand it upright several hours before opening so that sediment can settle. Opening should be slow and gentle, using a corkscrew suitable for old corks if necessary.

For mature reds, decanting should be very limited: it is better to taste the wine immediately after opening. Old Champagnes should be served cool but not ice-cold. Armagnacs, Colheita Ports and sweet wines may be served slightly chilled to preserve balance.

1987: A Symbolic Vintage to Choose with Care

The 1987 vintage can be an interesting option for a birth-year bottle, an anniversary wine or a prestigious gift, provided the right styles are chosen. The most relevant options are found in mature Champagnes, vintage Armagnacs, Colheita Ports, selected great Italian wines and a few rare perfectly stored French bottles.

When carefully chosen, a 1987 wine can offer a mature, rare and deeply moving experience, perfectly suited to celebrating a birth year or an important anniversary.