Not a “value” wine but I did pick up a bottle of '76 d’Yquem with the intent to share it with a good friend who was born that year for his birthday next October. From what I’ve read it’s supposed to be one of the better vintages of that decade and should still be drinking well.
It is terrific Yquem.
I’d pick either Napa or Burgundy.
Krohn 1976 Colheita Port.
Shazam! ![[cheers.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/0ff9bfcdb0964982cd3240b6159868fbdf215b1a.gif "cheers"){kind=small}
Did I miss it or has nobody mentioned Riesling yet? ![[scratch.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/4/42a16863a8714da3c1604419e3eb9206bb87aa50.gif "scratch"){kind=small}
'76 is probably the best year between '71 and '90 in the Mosel-Saar-Ruwer and Pfalz, and is damn close in quality to both those years - especially for Auslese and Beerenauslese.
EDIT… sorry, I did miss this post:
I’d go with Germany and if not that, the GdL or another Napa wine or maybe the N Rhone. It was an OK year in Rioja, not great but with something from a good producer you will probably be OK.
Sure Rioja and Champagne are really good.
It´s also a year in Burgundy that needed a lot of time to integrate the heavy tannins - well chosen Burgundies can be very fine to drink now, but there are also some that remain still tannic and dry … but it´s nevertheless worth the risk if prices are not too high for bottles in good condition.
There are a lot Bordeaux that are over apogee now … but some can still be found which are giving great pleasure - Ausone for instance … or simply bottles in great condition …
Although it was not a great Rhone-year I had some really excellent ChateauneufDPs - and also Hermitages … mostly from negociants … hard to find, but usually not very expensive …
Great German and Austrian sweet wines (Spätlese and above) …
Great wine and only outclassed by the '75.
Yeah but you won’t get that unless you have the two side-by-side.
Just two days ago I had Produttori del Barbaresco’s regular 1976 Barbaresco which was really nice, though at the very least 10 years too young. It seems that they did not produce the Riservas that year so all the quality juice went into this bottling. The bottle was bought for 37 € earlier this year from a German retailer so the value was certainly great.