Just picked up a lot of '77 Taylors at auction for a decent price.
'77 in California was a great year for quality, there just wasn’t a lot of quantity. It was the 2nd year of a severe drought. If you can find a Cab, you’ll probably get a great deal on it since it’s kind of a sleeper vintage that people have forgotten about.
Port or California. Or the 1977 Weinert Malbec which other people have liked very much but never did much for me.
As Ed said, 77 was a very good year in Cali. Try Jeff Emery at Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyard. He’s got access to Ken Burnap’s library and the 77s I’ve had from them are excellent. He’s onto 80s and 90s for their library tastings, but he might be able to scrounge a 77 for you.
Ian
Thanks, Ian. Any chance you can PM me Jeff’s contact info?
Just sourced two 77 Mondavi Reserves for a good price. Will look around more for the Montelena and Ian’s suggestions! Thanks all.
Heitz also did well in 1977 with their Cabernets, probably more expensive than Mondavi Reserve or Montelena.
Seo,
From the past 12 months or so a '77 Wendouree Shiraz Mataro was spectacular. Guigal’s La Mouline was very good. Dupont-Tisserandot Charmes-Chambertin and Chevillon’s NSG ‘Vaucrains’ were more than serviceable. Domaine Macle Chateau Chalon was excellent. Durfort-Vivans and Chateau Montrose both performed above expectations. Port is an obvious choice but don’t despair as there are plenty of good drinks from the vintage.
Best Regards
Jeremy
Tell her to lie about her age and say she’s a year younger.
excellent strategy John
Not sure how much they go for now, but 77 is my birth year as well and I’ve had 2 bottles of the 77 Weinert Malbec Estrella and both were fantastic. Last bottle I had was about 4 years ago though…
I just did a generic search for 1977 on wine-searcher, there were tons of options, including a '77 Monte Bello. If there’s one California wine that can stand up to just about any treatment, I’d put my $$ on Monte Bello. It’s going for $279 at a place called Wine Consigners in LA. Since they’re consigners, maybe you could make them an offer below asking? If the wine is as good as it should be, $279 sounds like a deal though.
Ed is right on the money with the 1977 Monte Bello. It was a tannic beasty when young. I bought one on release and drank it a few years ago and it was kickin’–typical MB. Still sitting one a 1984!
Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill is another possibility.
Unknown storage conditions over the years make it a questionable proposition, so I would consider the more reasonable, much safer way to go with, a port.
I believe port productions jumped after 77, so it will be the last of a more tended to wine as well.
It rained at Mayacamas
Before harvest. Should be fine.
The 77 ports should be a good choice…we sold graham’s for 135/case.
Of course, 77 was Ed’s first vintage at chalone.
I would get that.
Mel, that was funny. In '77 I was 13, but it was the year I tried (and hated) Budweiser for the first time. I wouldn’t work at Chalone for another 18 years. If I had seen a '77 Chalone PN online, I wouldn’t have said a word, I would’ve bought it. It’s an amazing wine, and very rare, even though more than a barrel was made.
Dow’s would be your best bet IMO.
The 1977 Heitz Bella Oaks was, IMO, better than the Martha’s in that vintage. That was some years ago however; no idea how it would be drinking now.
I had a couple of bottles of the ‘77 BV Georges de Latour…one was smokin’ and the other was dead.
She’s open to that idea! Arent all ladies?