In Never Say Never Again (1983), James Bond – played for the final time by Sean Connery – drinks a bottle of Château Cheval Blanc from a well-stocked hamper (in bed, with a friend – exactly how wine should be enjoyed).
www.jamesbondlifestyle.com says, “Unfortunately the year of the wine can’t be seen clearly. It looks like 1982, the year before the movie was made, but it could also be a different year.”
Filming of Never Say Never Again began on 27th September 1982. Cheval Blanc is aged in barrels for 18 months or so, so the earliest vintage that could appear in the film is 1980 – perhaps the best wine of an underwhelming vintage at the beginning of a golden decade for Bordeaux.
Cheval 1979 and 1978 are also good wines. Indeed, Cheval was good throughout the 1970s, with the exception of the execrable 1972, 1973 (11.8% alcohol!), and 1974 (my vintage, unluckily for me; Sean Connery does no better with 1930.)
From the 1960s and before, Cheval Blanc was exceptional in 1966, 1964, 1961, 1959, 1955, 1953, 1952 (one of the finest old red wines that I’ve had), 1949, 1947, 1943, 1934, 1929, 1928, 1924, 1921…
And that’s as far as I go.
In the meantime, wash your hands, keep your distance, and try to have five portions of fun a day (like James Bond).
