Cellar Favorite:
1924, 1929 &amp; 1955 Meyney

BY NEAL
MARTIN | AUGUST 18, 2025

Last
primeur, which already seems like ages ago, Château Meyney organised a
fascinating lunch recreating a historic dinner served in 1928 during the
Fête du Vin et du Pin that featured this Saint-Estèphe estate. The wines
poured almost a century later would not be identical, but 1924 Meyney was
promised inter alia. Likewise, the menu would be inspired by dishes served in
the 1920s. 

In
fact, three vintages of Meyney older than any I had encountered previously were
poured blind. Désiré Cordier acquired the estate in 1919 from the Luetkens
family, one year after his purchase of Château Talbot. Labels namecheck the
monastic order known as the Feuillants, who had incepted viticulture circa 1660—Prieuré
de Couleys. This tasting was a casual and light-hearted event with serious
bottles, with proceedings overseen by current winemaker Anne Le Naour. <img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1755527833764-Meyney+1924_Vinous.jpg">The 1924
Meyney came from a surviving magnum, recorked in 1994. Fragrant on the
nose, it still offers Morello cherries, iodine and a light touch of menthol,
well defined and doffing its hat to Burgundy. The palate is marked by higher
acidity than expected, a little tart. Admittedly, there is not immense
concentration nor density, then again, this is a 100-year-old wine that has
unequivocally retained balance. As old claret is wont to do, the 1924 gains
presence with aeration. Delectable notes of cranberry intermix with cedar and Chinese
five-spice towards the finish. This is another delicious 1924 claret whose
longevity was likely enhanced by the magnum format and perfect provenance. 91/Drink
2025-2033.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1755527922355-meyney+1929+bottle_Vinous.JPG">From a
more renowned vintage than 1924, the 1929 Meyney was poured from a standard
bottle. Light, quite airy red fruit unfurls on the nose and commingles with
subtle Italian delicatessen and leather, hints of smoke emerging with time. This
suggests a little more Merlot than the 1924, but there are no existing records
to verify. The palate is medium-bodied with lively red fruit, slightly crunchy
in terms of texture, with a dash of spice. The 1929 is strict, perhaps a tad
more timeworn than the 1924 and shorter on the finish, yet it still offers
pleasure and, again, meliorates in the glass. 89/Drink 2025-2030.<img alt="" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/images.vinous.com/uploads%2F1755527906219-meyney+1955+bottle_Vinous.JPG">The 1955
Meyney was also served from a standard bottle. It shows a little more
bricking on the rim and exhibits lighter fruit than the ’24 or ’29, hints of
tomato vine infusing the light red fruit. The palate is framed by light,
slightly rigid tannins, bitter red cherries and graphite, concluding with a
finish that attenuates a little. I am an ardent fan of the 1955 vintage, though
juxtaposed against older vintages, I preferred the pair of Meyney wines hailing
from the twenties. 88/Drink 2025-2030.

Other
wines served included a magnum of 1926 Talbot as well as the 1957 and 1959
Rayne-Vigneau. Notes will be folded into a forthcoming tranche of mature
Bordeaux reviews. One of those three was spectacular!© 2025, Vinous. No portion of this article may be copied, shared or re-distributed without prior consent from Vinous. Doing so is not only a violation of our copyright, but also threatens the survival of independent wine criticism.

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