Tasted at the vertical at the chateau, the 1961 Chateau Siran sports a deeper color than the 1959 Siran, with less bricking on the rim. The bouquet is well defined, soft at first but building in intensity, offering lovely mulberry, mint, white pepper, spice-box and clove scents with time. Over five to ten minutes, the fruit recedes and is replaced with touches of undergrowth and bark. The palate is very well balanced with more structure and vibrancy than the 1959, perfectly pitched acidity, focused and harmonious with cedar-tinged red berry fruit, mixed with minerals and a faint hint of cola. This is one of the best mature vintages of Chateau Siran that I have encountered: a marvelous Margaux with pleasure yet to give. This is a 1961 that delivers the goods and dare I say, having tasted it recently, as good as if not better than Chateau Margaux. Does the 1855 classification allow that kind of thing? Tasted February 2016.