Critics Ratings

'It is interesting to note that many 1959s, much like the 1982s, were maligned for lacking both acidity and aging potential. How does one explain the fact that many 1959s are less evolved, as well as richer, fresher, and more complete than many 1961s? For example, as great as the 1961 La Mission is, the 1959 is a richer, deeper-colored, more concentrated and powerful wine. It needs at least 3-5 more years of cellaring to reach its plateau of maturity. Spicy and super-concentrated, with a dense, plummy/purple color, this young, broodingly backward, formidably-endowed wine should be at its best before the end of the century and drink well for the first 20-25 years of the next millennium.' - Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 100/100 (Oct 1994)

‘The 1959 La Mission Haut-Brion is usually explosive on the nose, although this bottle is more “controlled” and less voluptuous. The intense red fruit intermingles with sandalwood, cedar and mint, gaining power with aeration and cohering with every swirl of the glass. The palate is very balanced with a saline entry, more black than red fruit, armed with black truffle and allspice towards the finish that I find fresher than the 1959 Haut-Brion poured alongside.’ - Neal Martin, Vinous, 98/100 (Nov 2020)

‘Very dark – darker than the 1961 – with the colour still right out to the rim. More concentrated and even sweeter than the 1961, with which it is inevitably compared. Very powerful and dense. Luscious, long and tense. Sweet, very rich, rather medicinal. Wonderful stuff.’ - Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 19.5/20 (Jun 2008)

Provenance

The Coats Family Cellar is arguably the most prestigious fine wine collection ever offered in South Africa. It contains a deep collection of the worlds finest, most sought-after wines, spanning over 150 years. Collected over many decades, the cellar was imported from Ireland to South Africa via reefer. Each bottle within the Coats Family Cellar was authenticated by Michael Egan in August 2022 and given an ID number for tracking.

Michael Egan is a world-expert in fine and rare wines with more than thirty five years of experience. He was the principal expert for the plaintiff in the two major wine counterfeiting trials in Koch v. Eric Greenberg and United States v. Rudy Kurniawan, both of which occurred in 2013.

Along with Michael Egan, the Strauss & Co Fine Wine team have tasted extensively through the cellar and are confident of the wine storage and hence quality. The entire collection is currently stored at Wine Cellar.