1959 Vintage — A Great Classic, Rich and Prestigious Year

Buying a 1959 wine means choosing an old bottle from a legendary vintage, ideal for an anniversary bottle, a birth-year wine or a highly prestigious gift. The 1959 vintage is one of the great classic years of the 20th century, with major successes in Bordeaux, Sauternes, Burgundy, Champagne and several other great age-worthy wine regions.

After more than sixty years, the greatest 1959 bottles can still offer a rare, deep and emotional tasting experience. However, age demands rigorous selection: provenance, fill level, colour, the condition of the capsule, the cork and storage history are essential.

The Style of the 1959 Vintage

The 1959 vintage is often associated with rich, ripe, generous and perfumed wines. In Bordeaux, conditions allowed deep, sun-filled, opulent and remarkably seductive wines. The best growths may still show ample texture, noble tertiary aromas and very harmonious balance.

In Burgundy, 1959 produced great classic red wines, rich and structured. In Champagne, the vintage is sought after for its concentration and maturity. 1959 Sauternes are also among the great successes, with sweet wines capable of very long evolution. This vintage should no longer be bought for long additional cellaring, but for tasting a great mature wine.

Which 1959 Wines Should You Buy First?

• Very high priority: 1959 red Bordeaux from top châteaux, Pauillac, Margaux, Saint-Julien, Pomerol, Saint-Émilion and Graves.
• Very high priority: 1959 Sauternes from leading estates, especially Yquem, Rieussec, Climens, Coutet, Suduiraut or Rayne Vigneau.
• High priority: 1959 red Burgundy from top domaines, grand crus and well-preserved premier crus.
• High priority: 1959 vintage Champagnes from major houses, magnums and prestige cuvées.
• Medium to high priority: 1959 Rhône, 1959 Colheita Port, Madeira, fortified wines and collector bottles.

1959 Bordeaux: One of the Great Vintages of the 20th Century

In Bordeaux, 1959 is a major vintage. The best wines are renowned for their richness, ripeness, perfume, sensual texture and great concentration. The vintage succeeded in many appellations, on both the Left Bank and the Right Bank.

Great 1959 red Bordeaux can offer aromas of ripe blackcurrant, black plum, cedar, blond tobacco, fine leather, forest floor, truffle, graphite, sweet spices, preserved black fruits and faded floral notes. The style is often more generous, opulent and fleshy than that of more austere vintages.

Appellations and styles to prioritise:

• 1959 Pauillac — Very high priority, especially from first growths and leading classified growths.
• 1959 Margaux — A major success for lovers of finesse, perfume and elegance.
• 1959 Saint-Julien — A fine category for harmonious, deep and classic wines.
• 1959 Pomerol — Highly sought after from major estates, with richness, roundness and complexity.
• 1959 Saint-Émilion — Worth considering from reference estates and well-preserved bottles.
• 1959 Graves — A very fine option, especially Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion.

Buying priority: very high from top châteaux, correct fill levels, healthy colour and documented provenance.

Great 1959 Bordeaux Wines to Look For

The greatest 1959 Bordeaux wines are now collector bottles. They are among the most sought-after mature wines for lovers of historic, generous and prestigious classified growths.

• Château Lafite Rothschild 1959 — One of the great references of the vintage, rare, prestigious and highly sought after.
• Château Latour 1959 — A great age-worthy Pauillac, deep, structured and historic.
• Château Mouton Rothschild 1959 — A major collector bottle, particularly desirable.
• Château Margaux 1959 — A great success for lovers of elegant and perfumed Bordeaux.
• Château Haut-Brion 1959 — A major Graves reference, celebrated for its depth and complexity.
• La Mission Haut-Brion 1959 — A great collector bottle, powerful and complex.
• Petrus, Trotanoy, Lafleur and top 1959 Pomerol wines — Highly sought after when perfectly stored.

Buying priority: very high, with serious inspection of fill level, colour, capsule and cellar history.

1959 Sauternes: A Great Vintage for Sweet Wines

1959 Sauternes is one of the great categories of the vintage. The best estates produced rich, complex and long-lived sweet wines. For a 1959 anniversary bottle, a great Sauternes can offer a more reassuring option than many very old dry reds.

Great 1959 sweet wines can develop notes of honey, candied apricot, bitter orange, beeswax, saffron, dried fruits, noble caramel, tea, sweet spices, walnut, roasted yellow fruits and elegant rancio. Their natural richness often allows them to survive the decades with greater stability.

Examples of wines to consider:

• Château d’Yquem 1959 — The absolute reference in Sauternes, rare, prestigious and highly collectible.
• Château Rieussec 1959 — A very fine option for lovers of great mature sweet wines.
• Château Climens 1959 — Worth seeking for its Barsac finesse and elegance.
• Château Coutet 1959 — Interesting from good bottles with correct fill level and healthy colour.
• Château Suduiraut or Rayne Vigneau 1959 — To be considered according to condition, fill level and provenance.

Buying priority: very high from leading estates, healthy colour, correct fill level and reliable provenance.

1959 Burgundy: A Great Year for Red Wines

1959 Burgundy is one of the major pillars of the vintage. The red wines can offer a rare combination of richness, depth, structure and harmony. From leading domaines and the best terroirs, certain bottles can still provide an exceptional emotional experience.

The best 1959 red Burgundies can show notes of dried cherry, preserved raspberry, ripe strawberry, faded rose, sweet spices, forest floor, fine leather, truffle, damp earth and evolved red fruits. The style is often ample, deep, patinated and highly sensual.

Styles to look for:

• 1959 Burgundy grand crus — Very high priority from historic domaines.
• 1959 Côte de Nuits — A very fine option, especially from great terroirs and top producers.
• 1959 Gevrey-Chambertin, Chambolle-Musigny, Vosne-Romanée and Morey-Saint-Denis — Best from reference domaines.
• 1959 premier crus — Interesting from the best producers and with clear provenance.
• Ordinary 1959 Burgundies — Select with care, as storage condition remains decisive.

Buying priority: high to very high for top domaines, grand crus, good fill levels and well-preserved bottles.

1959 Champagne: A Great Historic Year

1959 Champagne is a great historic year. The best vintage Champagnes can show remarkable concentration, richness and complexity. At this age, however, this is a collector category: quality depends strongly on provenance, fill level, remaining pressure, colour and capsule condition.

The best old Champagnes from 1959 may offer notes of ripe apple, candied lemon, dried fruits, honey, wax, old brioche, hazelnut, almond, candied citrus, noble mushroom and toasted evolution. They are intended for lovers of great mature, gastronomic and highly evolved Champagne.

• 1959 vintage Champagnes from major houses — To be prioritised with documented provenance.
• 1959 Champagne magnums — Very rare, but especially interesting when available.
• 1959 prestige cuvées — Collector bottles for lovers of very old Champagne.

Buying priority: high from major houses, magnums and perfectly stored bottles.

1959 Rhône: Richness, Power and Fine Successes

1959 Rhône can offer fine successes, especially from historic producers. The wines may show strong richness, significant concentration and deep aromatic maturity, particularly when bottles come from reliable cellars.

The best 1959 Rhône wines may evoke dried black fruits, pepper, leather, smoke, black olive, garrigue, spices, liquorice, forest floor and noble animal notes. At this age, only leading producers and perfectly stored bottles should be considered.

• 1959 Hermitage — Worth considering from historic producers and well-preserved bottles.
• 1959 Côte-Rôtie — Interesting for lovers of very old Syrah.
• 1959 Châteauneuf-du-Pape — Can offer very fine bottles from historic estates.

Buying priority: medium to high from leading producers, correct fill levels and reliable provenance.

1959 Port and Fortified Wines: A Reassuring Anniversary Alternative

For a 1959 bottle, fortified wines can be an interesting alternative to dry reds. 1959 Colheita Ports, Madeira and selected mature fortified wines often offer greater stability thanks to their alcohol, richness and oxidative ageing.

A fortified wine from 1959 can develop notes of walnut, fig, caramel, candied orange, cocoa, coffee, dried fruits, blond tobacco, sweet spices, noble wood and elegant rancio. For an anniversary gift, this is a rare, generous and symbolic option.

Buying priority: medium to high when the house, bottling information and provenance are clearly identified.

Buying a 1959 Wine: Essential Criteria

When buying a 1959 bottle, the real condition of the bottle is decisive. Even in a great vintage, a poorly stored bottle can disappoint. Conversely, a perfectly stored bottle can offer a memorable, rare and deeply moving experience.

• Fill level: favour high fill levels, especially for Bordeaux, Burgundy and dry red wines.
• Colour: avoid wines that appear abnormally brown, dull, cloudy or oxidised for their style.
• Capsule: watch for signs of seepage, corrosion, oxidation or weakened cork.
• Provenance: favour known cellars, documented lots and bottles stored in stable conditions.
• Format: magnums and large formats are rare, but preferable when available.
• Wine type: Bordeaux, Sauternes, Burgundy, Champagne, Rhône and fortified wines are the most credible categories.

Serving Advice for a 1959 Bottle

An old 1959 bottle should be handled delicately. It is advisable to stand the bottle upright for several hours, or even a full day before opening, so that the sediment can settle. Opening should be slow, using a corkscrew suitable for old corks or vintage wine tongs.

For old red wines, decanting should remain very limited. It is better to taste the wine immediately after opening, then decide whether it can tolerate a little air. Sauternes can be served slightly chilled. Old Champagnes should be served cool but not ice-cold, while fortified wines may be served slightly chilled.

Summary of the 1959 Vintage

• 1959 Bordeaux — One of the great vintages of the 20th century, rich, ripe, perfumed and highly sought after.
• 1959 Sauternes — A major success for long-lived sweet wines.
• 1959 Burgundy — A great year for red wines, especially from historic domaines.
• 1959 Champagne — A great historic year, best from major houses and perfectly stored bottles.
• 1959 Rhône — Fine successes possible from historic producers.
• 1959 Colheita Port — A rare and reassuring alternative for an anniversary bottle.

1959: A Prestigious Vintage for Lovers of Fine Old Wines

The 1959 vintage is a prestigious year for a birth-year bottle, an anniversary wine or a gift with great symbolic value. Its greatest successes are found among red Bordeaux from top châteaux, Sauternes, red Burgundies, vintage Champagnes and selected great Rhône wines.

When buying a 1959 wine, it is essential to prioritise reference producers, bottles with clear provenance, correct fill levels and wine styles naturally suited to ageing. Well chosen, a 1959 wine can offer a rare, mature and deeply moving experience, perfectly suited to an anniversary gift or the celebration of a birth year.