SEVEN WINES FROM 1978 (CA AND WA), AND A FEW OTHERS… - (2/8/2020)
I fully intended to do birth year wines in the year of my 40th but, due to a combination of things, just didn’t get around to it. So, instead, we had a bunch of family over for good food (homemade Beef Wellington, mushroom farro, a lot of veggies…) and enjoying each other. The key: kids were all together with two sitters at my cousin’s house. Ahhh…ADULT conversation! The wines all showed spectacularly well, save the Zinfandel.
Warm-Up Wine A nice magnum with Dungeness crab as guests showed up…
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2004 Domaine Billaud-Simon Chablis 1er Cru Montée de Tonnerre - France, Burgundy, Chablis, Chablis 1er Cru
Served from magnum. Definitely no premox here! This was so young still and hand’t developed much in the way of aged complexity, amazingly. Lemon pith, minerals, some peach skin, all with great concentration, but on a light frame…delicious with dungeness crab. (92 pts.)
The 1978s
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1978 Chateau Ste. Michelle Merlot - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Slight bricking at the edges. Not decanted. Great nose…surprised this doesn’t smell dead. Quite the contrary: ripe cherry, coffee grounds, slight raspberry. I am amazed at how good this wine still is. Such vibrant fruit. (91 pts.)
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1978 Chateau Ste. Michelle Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Cold Creek Vineyard - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
Pretty heavily bricked. Slightly subdued nose, but still showed textbook Cabernet character with dried currant, herb, and lots of earth (rosemary?). This started a tad bit prune-like, but that resolved quickly with air. Fun, tasty wine. (90 pts.)
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1978 Louis M. Martini Zinfandel Special Selection - USA, California
Over the hill. Prune and stewed fruit with notes of caramel. I had low expectations, so no biggie. I tasted several times over 4+ hours.
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1978 Matanzas Creek Winery Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Sonoma County
WOTN. Saturated cork, but it came out in one piece. Surprisingly dark appearance. Soaring nose of dark cherry, tack room, humidor, spicy plum skin, currant. I was floored at how much great fruit and life this had. Delicious, contemplative, and a real head-turner. What a wine. (95 pts.)
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1978 Grand Cru Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Collector’s Series Garden Creek Ranch - USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
#2 WOTN. This was just great. Nearly fully saturated cork. Slight bricking. Great acidity underneath the ample pie cherry, wet leather and slight plum notes. Excellent wine. (93 pts.)
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1978 Clos du Bois Cabernet Sauvignon Briarcrest - USA, California, Sonoma County, Alexander Valley
Cork was nearly perfect. Not decanted. Appearance was quite watery toward the edges, but not very bricked. Perhaps it was my eyes influencing my taste buds, but I don’t think so, as this was more dilute than the other wines at the tasting. Simple cherry fruit, slight earth and a moderate finish. Tasty, but it was overshadowed in the lineup. (85 pts.)
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1978 Kenwood Cabernet Sauvignon - USA, California, Sonoma County
Good cork. Thinning color at the edges. Red licorice, cherry, chickory(?) and damp earth. Starting its downhill slide. Drink up. Enjoyable, but not outstanding. (86 pts.)
A Late Addition and a Sticky
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2007 Betz Family Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille - USA, Washington, Columbia Valley
This is finally starting to enter its peak drinking window. Not decanted, served in Schott Zweisel Tritan stems. This came after a flight of 1978 Cabs, so it definitely stood out with its pronounced fruit. Black fruit, spice, licorice…still pretty youthful, but not so tightly clenched that one can’t enjoy it. Drink or hold for 10+. (94 pts.) -
2006 Château Raymond-Lafon - France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes
Served from large Bordeaux-style stems. Lighter honey color. The nose didn’t give up a whole lot. On the palate, though, this is sweet and tasty. Apricot, marzipan(?), pineapple, slight spice. Very nice. (89 pts.)
This was a lot of fun and i was so pleased with how nicely all of the wines showed. I was particularly happy with the two wines from Washington. For those of us born in Central Washington, how funny to see, “Benton County” printed proudly on the front label of the Ste. Michelle Cab! I will also tout the Durand…it saved my bacon and worked SO well for all of these corks. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Yes!
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