there have been a lot of threads on here lately about older California wines. Try to limit this to wines you tasted when they were 20-25 years old or more.
For me, 10 memorable ones have been:
1974 and 1975 Mondavi - Had these this year. Incredible.
1974 Sterling
1977 and 1978 Ridge Geyserville
1978 Chateau Montelena Sonoma
1978 Diamond Creek (I have not had the Lake, but have had each of the other three - Gravelly Meadow, Red Rock Terrace and Volcanic Hill - that I will lump together) - could be the best California Cab I have had
Gemello 1970 and 1960
Phelps Eisele 1975
Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill 1978
Ridge Geyserville 1973
Ridge Monte Bello 1968
Dunn Howell Mountain 1982
Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards Bate Ranch 1980
Chateau Montelena 1991
Mount Eden 1974
I have only come to find Mount Eden in recent years. Found some 1994s recently that I bought but have not tried yet. The 1974 must have been fabulous. Congratulations.
1991 and 1985 Ridge Monte Bello
1974 Heitz Martha’s Cabernet
1987 Mondavi Reserve Cabernet
1971 and 1974 Ridge York Creek Petite Sirah
1968 BV GdL
1991 Montelena Estate Cabernet
There was also a monumental Phelps Eisele Cabernet, but I am not recalling the specific vintage.
A lot of mine have been mentioned (Montelena, MB, Dunn HM, Heitz) but I should mention the Laurel Glen’s and Beringer Chabot’s from 1991 and 1992. All were absolutely profound at 20+ years. Wish I still had some left!
1969 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Lot C-91 - age 50
1974 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Martha’s Vineyard - age 42
1991 Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon Winemaker’s Reserve - age 28
1991 Chateau St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve - age 32
1991 Dalla Valle Maya - age 25
1991 Dominus Estate Napanook Vineyard - age 29
1991 Ridge Monte Bello - age 24
1991 Heitz Cellar Cabernet Sauvignon Trailside Vineyard - age 29
1992 Souverain Cabernet Sauvignon Winemaker’s Reserve - age 25
1994 Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon The Montelena Estate - age 30
1996 Alban Vineyards Syrah Lorraine - age 23
#1 white
1968 Heitz Cellar Chardonnay Pinot Chardonnay LOT Z-82 - age 48
1991 Togni
1978 Santa Cruz Mountain Bates Ranch Cabernet
1979 Jordan
1975 Parducci Charbono
1974 Marthas
1991 Ridge Monte Bello
1978 Diamond Creek Gravelly
1968 Freemark Abbey Petite Sirah
1976 Ritchie Creek
1978 Villa Mt. Eden Reserve Cabernet
1992 Dominus (26 years old)
1990 Mondavi Reserve (multiple 20-36)
1990 Togni (34)
1995 Ridge MB (26)
1972 Mayacamus (43)
1991 Montelena (26)
1991 Opus (multiple 21+)
1991 Mondavi Reserve (multiple 21+)
1987 Dunn HM (27)
1990 Silver Oak Bonny’s (27)
1981 DC Volcanic Hill (36)
The old Mondavi Reserves, Togni, Beringer PR, Montelena, Ridge MB are all reliable long-agers that impress. We went through a bunch of '90 and '91 Mondavi and those were almost all fantastic. The Mayacamus was perhaps the most memorable of the bunch because it overperformed relative to my expectations and reminded me so much of the 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou - it was a great bottle.
1974 Heitz Martha’s
1973 Heitz Martha’s
1968 Heitz C-91
1970 Gemello
1968 BV PR
1969 BV PR
1947 Martin Ray
I expect that the 1948 Martin Ray we opened side by side with the 1947 would be on the list, but our bottle was oxidized. The late, great Seattle wine merchant Dan McCarthy once came in to Seattle Wine Storage to pick up a bottle of the 1951 BV PR, his birth year, for his 50th birthday. He mentioned it was the second best bottle he had consumed, so I asked what was the best, and he said 1948 Martin Ray. I didn’t have the heart to tell him I had a bottle of the 1947 and 1948 that I was opening later that year. I didn’t have room for him to attend, and sometimes it is best not to tarnish a good memory by having a 2nd taste that doesn’t live up to the memory.
Way back in the day, I drank a whole lot of these wines and loved them. The last vintage I had was the 1984 and I have one bottle left - need to drink it.
One great experience was at a preview tasting for a Heublein wine auction in the earlier 1980s. Heublein owned BV at the time and included in the huge bevy of wonderful wines (you know, things like 59 Petrus, 1945 Comte de Vogue Musigny, 1971 Yquem and on and on) we had was a vertical of 1968 to 1978 Private Reserves. Fascinating.