Domaine de Rancy Ambré Rivesaltes 1948

The Verdaguers are constantly releasing really old wines from their stocks, as witness a recent offering of 1948 Rivesaltes Ambre. (Yes, that's forty-eight ... a half century younger than their youngest current release!) Peat- and Latakia-like smokiness, creme caramel, diverse nut extracts, candied lemon and orange peels, and intense intimations of briny, alkaline ocean water penetrate the nostrils with eye-opening intensity. The piquant elements are delightfully integrated on the palate for a sense of real invigoration, while the marine aspects serve for saliva inducement in a finish of focused concentration and prodigious sheer length. I could go on to describe myriad other high-toned details, but it should suffice to say that we have here a bottling of remarkable depth well-worth treasuring almost indefinitely, provided you are comfortable with ever paying its price for a bottle of anything. (Bear in mind that you can savor this wine's profound pleasures over a year or more's time as it will retain its stamina from an open bottle.) Score - 94. (David Schildknecht, erobertparker.com, Jan. 2014)