Predating 1950, these bottles belong to another era of Bordeaux, one that preceded the widespread adoption of château bottling (made mandatory for classified growths from the 1924 vintage onwards, at the initiative of Baron Philippe de Rothschild), when the négociant trade raised and commercialised the vast majority of wines. Their rarity makes them witnesses to history, and their appreciation rests on one cardinal condition: the state and provenance of the bottle, absolutely decisive at such an age. The period yielded legendary vintages, foremost among them the post-war trio formed by the concentrated 1945 (born of a spring frost that dramatically reduced the harvest), the opulent and sunny 1947 (the pinnacle of the Right Bank, with the iconic Cheval Blanc) and the classic 1949. Further back shine the tannic and structured 1928, the opulent 1929, the great and generous 1921 (legendary in Sauternes, with Yquem) and the more distant myths of 1900 or 1870. The reds of the Médoc (Cabernet) and the Right Bank (Merlot) sit alongside the sweet wines of Sauternes, renowned for their exceptional longevity. Where storage has been impeccable, the finest cuvées still offer a deeply moving maturity, yet each bottle remains unique, to be judged on its own merits.