Three years after the devastating frost of February 1956, the vines of Bordeaux were still recovering.

Many had been wiped out and those that were left had received such a shock that yields remained extremely reduced.

But the sun came out in 1959 and the wines were full of fruit, tannin, and flavour.

This was the last Bordeaux vintage made in the good old-fashioned way – chuck all the grapes in and leave them to it, with no temperature control – and the last really great but really inexpensive vintage.

“Premier Crus” like Château Margaux were offered to consumers at 30 shillings / £1.50 per bottle, which would now equate to about £23…