Not dead but definitely on life support - neither wine was tasty or especially interesting.
Well, that’s disappointing, Richard. Are you the original owner?
Look at that wonderfully low alcohol content!
Yes, both wines were purchased on release. I brought the Gemello - it was a cult wine before there was such a thing. The Chappellet came from my old friend Bob Blumberg’s cellar. Bob and Hurst Hannum wrote what was probably the first book about the new generation of California wines: “The Fine Wines of California” (1971). Hurst was in town from Boston so the three us got together for dinner and opened a bunch of old wines to see who was in better shape - us or the wines. We won.
That’s a shame; I’ve had both fairly recently and really enjoyed them.
My understanding, from recent research on the Santa Clara, San Benito, etc, region’s histories, is that the wines from Gemello were phenomenal and long-lived, to say nothing of the Chappellet.
Sorry that they were clunkers.
Richard - I forget - was the Gemello a one shot wonder? I always get that one mixed up with Gan Eden. Lots of history. I need to dig up my book by Misters Hannum and Blumberg. Two wonderful guys who never made wine their business, hence, I think, their continued passion.
That Chappellet should have been a bomb. Too bad.
Gemello 1970 was the legend, and in 2001 bested in a blind tasting, Petrus and Latour 1970, La Mission 1975 and Heitz Martha’s 1974 among others at an old Cabernet versus Bordeaux tasting. At its best, the 1968 was not too far off the 1970, but the last time I had it, it was beginning to fade. The 1970 is still going strong.
I have never had the 1970 Chapellet before, but drunk both the 1973 and 1974 this year, which were both excellent. 1970 is a really good year, so I am a little surprised by your note.
Am I mistaken, or did the Gemello Cabs have extended oak aging?
Well, I had a '70 Lafite a few years ago that had been taken off life support, so there’s that.
Hardly a one shot wonder - Mario Gemello started making wine in the 1940s and finally sold the winery in (I think) the early 1980s. The 1970 was his finest wine and was truly world-class. And yes, Bob is a cardiologist and Hurst is a professor at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts.
Don’t know. I do remember that he used French oak from different forests (Nevers, Limousin) and would include that information on the label.
John Gemello started the winery. His son Mario took over a decade or so later. After retiring, he made an occasional wine at his daughter and son-in-law’s winery (Obester). I haven’t had any of those later Gemello’s, but saw a bottle shot of a '92 (iirc) on the Mountain View history page on facebook.
In the aftermath of that 2001 retrospective of the '76 Paris Tasting (iirc the Gemello was subbed in for a corked wine) I brought a '70 to an eBob OL with a great old CA Cab theme, thinking my dark horse might steal the show. Nope. The '74 Martha’s (George Chadwick brought) was the easy favorite, followed by a '77 Monte Bello, then the '70 Gemello. The rest of the Cabs were outclassed. Had the two together again at a friend’s birthday party last year. Again, the Martha’s was easily the best wine on a night where people dug deep into their cellars to bring a lot of very impressive wines. The Gemello held its own, though, and was much appreciated.
Just goes to show once again that there are no great wines - just great bottles . . .
Cheers!
BS! Great wines have more great bottles. 
Holy cow! A bottle of the '70 Gemello sold for just over $400 on WineBid earlier this year!
In about twenty-five years, many early-1990s California cabernet sauvignon and merlot—currently available as bargains—will similarly strut their stuff. I refer to them as the Golden Age of American wines, when varietal characteristics had yet to meet manufactured spoofilation.
I bought 4 cases at $7.50 a bottle. The night of the dinner, somebody took one of my bottles bottle and gave $1000 to charity, the cost of the highest priced bottle there, Petrus 1970.
Too bad. I recently had a 1980 Chappellet and thought it was great.
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