1975 Vintage: Wine categories with good chances?

[lleichtman]

I’ve had fabulous luck with Spanish wines from Rioja and Ribera del Duero - these have been knockouts for me. If well stored these can be relatively inexpensive also.

Agree here. I only have one 1975 Rioja left but the ones we have been drinking from friend’s cellar including LDH have been wonderful and they are findable at reasonable prices.

[Eric_Ifune]

Some decent Vintage Ports, but choose carefully. Due to the revolution and the concern of nationalization, this iffy vintage was declared.

[Clayton_Wai-Poi]

For quality and value, it’s Sauternes for me.

Actually opening a 1975 Rieussec next week and expect it to be as great as the last 3 bottles I opened.

Sweeeeet!!! (on many different levels) Enjoy!

Jim

Hola if you’re ever in Chicago… happy to open some 1975s with you.

Clayton

[PeterH]

Jim,
I’m wondering when you say “random survivor”, how random? From someone’s cellar? A restaurant list? Auction?
A careful pre-selection could greatly alter the odds of a good bottle from the extremely wide field of “Bordeaux”, CA Cab, etc.

[William_Segui]

I’m a 75, on my 40th I had Yquem, Diamond Creek & Phelps Eislele. All very good.

[Jim_Stewart]

Jim,
I’m wondering when you say “random survivor”, how random? From someone’s cellar? A restaurant list? Auction?
A careful pre-selection could greatly alter the odds of a good bottle from the extremely wide field of “Bordeaux”, CA Cab, etc.

Good point, Peter. No, it is not entirely random. Without getting into all the specifics, the bottle(s) will come from a large collection of wines drawn from a variety of sources (restaurants, perhaps private cellars, etc.) that would most likely have originally had some pre-selection for quality involved. Those offered on any given day are likely to be random older one-of’s or other random older offerings at attractive prices. So in that sense, many of these bottles experienced at least some time in their lives when they were good, or thought likely to become good. Some of these wines are likely to be well past their spotlight hours. Hoping to zero in on the 1975 vintage in general wine categories where the wines may still have a decent chance of being good if I see them on offer. Worth a throw of the dice! For example, based on some of the suggestions to this point, I would probably jump at any 1975 Sauternes if one was available and might take a chance on a 1975 California Cabernet or 1975 Rioja, but maybe not go for a 1975 Bordeaux unless I know more about the specific bottling.
(I tend to make things needlessly complicated sometimes )

[Jeremy_Holmes]

I think your chances are good from California, Bordeaux and Sauternes. Looking back at my notes on what '75’s I have enjoyed over the past few years Lynch-Bages and GPD, Gloria, Montrose and La Tour Haut-Brion have all been in good form. Chateau Guiraud is an excellent Sauternes and the standard Mondavi Cab offers plenty of pleasure. Good bottles of '75 Grange are excellent and the '75 Dom Oeno is very good.

[Clayton_Wai-Poi]

I’ve also noted some strong reviews on 1975 Brunello on vinous so that could be an option too.

And I agree if you like very old Bordeaux I wouldn’t be afraid of most good producers, I’ve had a fairly good run (but I like very old Bordeaux).

[Wade_H]

I can’t speak to very many categories, but I would without hesitation go to California for Cabernet or even possibly other red grapes such as Petite Sirah or Zinfandel. Although overshadowed by 1974, there are some great wines out there. For instance, the '75 BV Georges de Latour simply blows the '74 out of the water for drinking today (had a glorious bottle of the '75 in 2015 that still had decades of life left while multiple '74s were past their best). The Ridge York Creek bottlings are lesser known than their big brother Montebello, but are always worth a shot. Just in terms of getting lucky from a random selection I think you would do well as so many California reds from the '60s, '70s and '80s continue to drink beautifully. At least that’s my personal experience.

[Howard_Cooper]

From Bordeaux, I have enjoyed Leoville las Cases and Pichon Lalande.

Years ago, I had a really wonderful 1975 Chappellet Cabernet. Any ideas on how that is doing now?

[Mel_Knox]

As I recall, they pimped the bejesus out of the 1975 vintage in Bordeaux whereas the same vintage passed unremarked upon in California.
Later so many '75s in California showed great. We sold 100 cs of the Chappellet and sold lots of Clos du Val as well…there was a lot of fog in 75 and it just depended on where you were.
It rained for three weeks at harvest time in Burgundy, as I recall.

[NED_VALOIS]

I would look at Sauterne, many are still excellent and YQ, well amazing.

+1

[Robert_Sand]

1975 is a great vintage in Germany - with Riesling of Spätlese- or Auslese-quality you cannot be wrong if a good producer