Bruce Lane, the Gala’s wine coordinator, has donated these two distinctly different bottles of Bordeaux from his personal cellar. 

The 1989 Beycheville is from a legendary vintage no longer readily available in the market and is ready to drink now – after decanting and breathing for 30 minutes.  Robert Parker has awarded it 89-91 points and describes it as “an elegant, medium-bodied wine with soft tannin, copious quantities of ripe, herb-tinged, black currant fruit, some evidence of toasty oak, and a generous, velvety-textured finish.”

The 2003 Branaire-Ducru, on the other hand, can be drunk now but will evolve with age. Parker awards it 95 points, and raves that it is “a brilliant effort” and that it “displays amazing freshness and definition for such a complex, complete, and full-bodied wine.” A favorite of Bruce.