How long do you think Macon or cru Beaujolais can age?

I'm used to seeing wines I think are probably way over the hill in offerings, but as someone who doesn't mind a gamble occasionally I'll bite. But I just got an email from a respected merchant, buried in the Burgundy section I found a couple of selections that threw me. I understand that when buying a cellar you sometimes end up with some marginal stuff, but the pricing on these two items blew me away:
1959 Morin, Macon 750ml, 7 @ $92
1978 Vasseur G., Chenas 750ml, 10 @ $46
A 47 yr old Macon for almost $100, or 28 yr old Beaujolais (not Moulin-a-vent or Morgon) for close to $50. I've never heard of either producer. Maybe these are fabled wines that I've never run across, but I'm really curious if these really sell! I might have tried one of each if under $10, fully expecting that they were likely to be past it, but willing to gamble. Anyone have some info that would make this seem reasonable?

Run away! Run away!!!

oh, I'm not planning on buying. I'm just curious if there's some history of long-lived wines from these producers to explain that pricing. Usually if someone ends up with wines that should be past it they price them at $5 or $10 just to clear out. I bought an assorted case of '89, '91, '94, '95 white Burgundies - mostly village level with a couple Bourgogne Blancs for $60. 2 '94s were pretty good, 1 '95 and a couple '91s interesting. 6 down drain. I'm ok with that. No way I bet more than $10 on a wine I think likely to be drainfodder.

Heck yeah, Dale. I know one retailer, a pretty successful one too, whose original business plan was based on the concept of selling distressed goods at irresistible lowball prices. The customers knew exactly what they were getting, but were willing to gamble on maybe ending up with a good thing.

Years ago, when I was in retail, I ended up with some select Bordeaux labels---I'm talking First Growths and Super Seconds and such---that were so dicey, and downright bad from poor storage and treatment, that I couldn't sell them in good conscience.

So I put them on a special $10 per bottle, explaining they were as is, had been checked at random and were not considered worthy of consumption and at best could be nothing better than showing off a label.

Sold every single bottle immediately under that proviso. Most people were pretty up front about it too: they understood the wine was crap, but it was the only way they could ever afford being able to say they had a bottle of thirty year old Haut Brion or Lafite or Latour of such in their cellar.

And a few people came back and reported they had had some "cull" parties, just to see if any of the wines were any good. Very, very few were (or I would not have been sellling them for that little.).

I understand why people would buy a $10 Haut-Brion even knowing it's not drinkable. It's like the fake Patek Philippe, all in the visual impression, baby.

I understand buying bottles that are dubious, if they're cheap enough that a 1 in 5 chance they're ok, and a 1 in 10 chance they're good.

But I'm still in the dark re why anyone would spend close to $50 on a Chenas- not impressing anyone with that label! I'm curious if I check Benchmark's inventory in a week if any will have sold.

I understand why people would buy a $10 Haut-Brion even knowing it's not drinkable....

I bought '67 Haut-Brion and '67 Lafite in '77 for $10 each and they were excellent! In fact, we liked the Lafite so much, we bought a case of the '75 at $30 when it was released, of which you had one of those bottles. However, prices being what they were at the time, the '74 was selling for $13.

I understand why people would buy a $10 Haut-Brion even knowing it's not drinkable. It's like the fake Patek Philippe, all in the visual impression, baby.

I understand buying bottles that are dubious, if they're cheap enough that a 1 in 5 chance they're ok, and a 1 in 10 chance they're good.

But I'm still in the dark re why anyone would spend close to $50 on a Chenas- not impressing anyone with that label! I'm curious if I check Benchmark's inventory in a week if any will have sold.

Beats the hell out of me too, Dale.

Unless I was totally assured of the provenance and the worth (i.e, had recently tasted other bottles of the specific product), I sure as heck wouldn't be offering the stuff under my name. And, like you, I'm sure not buying what's offered, as offered.

Good question. I had a 12 y/o Morgon at a tasting a few years back that still had life in it -- tasty to boot. I forget the producer.

We had an old Burgundy tasting once. One of the wines had a really worn label but what was visible was: (1)947 and (Mo)rgon (any other possibilities?). It rocked. No producer was noticable, but the wine was other worldly. Sure it showed the heat of the vintage in that the fruit was big (still!) and the acidity was a bit lower than hoped, but it was an ethereal drink anyway. If this is how the '03s eventually turn out to be, I should get a few cases...except it won't do for the curmudgeonly image of "cool vintages only, please" that I've been building up!

-O-

I understand why people would buy a $10 Haut-Brion even knowing it's not drinkable. It's like the fake Patek Philippe, all in the visual impression, baby.

Essentially $10 just for the glass bottle. Doesn't make much sense to me. Although I suppose it is easier than rummaging through recylcing bins to pilfer empties from people who actually drank the stuff.

But who would be impressed with rotten wine?

Anyway, I actually think these old Beaujolais make more sense. Because unlike Hoke's bottles there is a non-zero probability that they will be drinkable or even amazing. So while I may not want to take that gamble. Some might.

I'd be interested to drink them if I found them in my cellar (as a friend of mine just found a 1966 Chateau Raspail Cotes du Rhone, and I told her the probability of it being drinkable is low, but, should still be interesting. Although yes, she wasn't plunking down $50 plus for the bottle)

First, what Hoke said.

Failing that, I'd want to see some serious provenance. Somebody had better have a convincing story about these bottles being stored under miraculous circumstances. For that matter, I'd like to see at least a tasting note. As grandpa used to say, if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.