Product Description

Unquestionably unique, demonstrably delightful, Michael Broadbent's Vintage Wine is the culmination of one of the most extraordinary careers in the world of wine. Michael Broadbent quite possibly knows more about fine, old wines than anyone else alive, and he writes about them with unparalleled expertise. Hired by Christie's in 1966 to revive their wine auctions, Broadbent threw himself into his work, searching out great collections of the world's finest wine--and keeping meticulous tasting notes. Here are evocations of Chateau d'Yquem from 1784--one of Thomas Jefferson's favorites--and hundreds of vintages and thousands of wines right up to the present. Years of "cellars visited and pillaged, involving the checking and packing of dust- and grime-laden bottles in distinctly dank and chilly conditions," jet-set auctions around the world, legendary tastings and society events, have all helped to create an unrivalled store of vinous anecdotes as well as an unsurpassed wine-tasting history. EXCERPT From a tasting of 1784 Chateau Yquem: "The most renowned vintage of the late 18th century and well-documented thanks mainly to the original copies of the letters and orders of Thomas Jefferson. . . . Jefferson did not trust wine merchants and insisted on bottling at the chateau. . . . The wine has a warm mahogany-amber colour with a pronounced yellow-green rim. Initially, the nose, unsurprisingly, was creakingly old but after fifteen minutes settled down to reveal a remarkably rich, tangy, honeyed scent."

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #454364 in Books
• Published on: 2002-10-31
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 560 pages

From Publishers Weekly
After devoting five decades to sampling, studying and selling wine, Broadbent boasts encyclopedic vinous knowledge. Head of Christie's wine department since 1966, the author has tasted almost everything. In this volume, Broadbent offers detailed accounts of wines he's tried (always mentioning when his last tasting took place), peppered with anecdotes of wine dinners and wealthy oenophiles. Each major wine-producing region, from Bordeaux to California to New Zealand and everywhere in between, has its own chapter. Chapters are subdivided into time periods, with an introduction to the region during each period, a list of specific years that produced great vintages, year-by-year highlights, and a zero-to-five star rating system for each wine catalogued. Broadbent gushes about his favorites, but he remains forthright: while a 1945 Bordeaux from Chateau Latour is a "great wine. Surely one of the best ever Latours, drinking beautifully now but with many years more life," a 1954 Bordeaux from that same vineyard is "chunky, coarse, and blunt." Anyone considering a vintage purchase or wondering about the right time to uncork a dusty bottle could consult this extensive guide. And anyone seeking to impress friends with wine bravado could easily quote Broadbent's colloquial opinions.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
PRAISE FOR MICHAEL BROADBENT "Michael Broadbent is in the first rank of wine authorities, and has led the way in defining and commenting on wine for the past 50 years. His early recognition of the possibilities for California wine, and his analysis and support over the years, have been crucial in our development. There is no one whose judgment I trust more than Michaels."--Robert Mondavi "[Michael Broadbent] has traded in and tasted a greater number of fine and rare wines than anyone else in the world." (Jancis Robinson )

About the Author
Michael Broadbent became a Master of Wine in 1960 and head of Christie's wine department in 1966. He has been chairman of the Institute of Masters of Wine and international president of the International Food and Wine Society, and he is one of only a handful of Englishmen ever to have been made a Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mrite by the French government. He lives in London.