I’ve not had many of the wines people mention on this thread. So I will list the wines that old-timers in Napa tell me were the greatest ones they had…
1968 Nathan Fay Home Bottling: This was never sold but it was the wine that convinced Warren Winarski to purchase land and plant Stags Leap Wine Cellars. I hear it was phenomenal even a decade ago.
1941 Inglenook: Made by John Daniel, some who have had it say it was still almost a perfect wine at age 65. I know Francis Ford Coppola is willing to buy any of these still existing at a heavy price, if anyone has em.
1976 Jordan Alexander Valley: I believe this was the first vintage and I believe it came from Alexander’s Crown Vineyard. Hear wondrous things about it.
1958 BV Georges Latour Private Reserve: I hear this monster was over 14.5% alcohol easily and those who have had it say it was epic, even at age 40.
1969 Chappellet Napa Valley: Made by Togni, was sourced from Pritchard Hill long before anyone knew to call it that.
1978 Diamond Creek “Lake”: I sometime wonder if this bottling is an urban legend. A couple people I know have had it, but none in the last decade. Apparently it left even Volcanic Hill in the dust that year. Something like 100 cases made.
1974 Conn Creek “Eisele”: Apparently a few people made great 74 Eisele’s but one person I know whose had em all say the Conn Creek is the be-all, end-all, and that for him it torched the 74 Martha’s.
This becomes a popularity contest, particularly when it is stated it need not have been tasted. I have had the following two: 1975 Joseph Phelps Eisele Cabernet and 1969 Chappellet.
Lots of incredible wines listed. I’ve been fortunate enough to try many over the years. My short list would likely have 68 and 74 Martha’s, 91 Dominus, 71 Ridge Eisele, and a handful of others. But if aliens landed and told me to show them what American wine was I would pour 1994 Harlan Estate.
Ah yes, the 91 Montelena Estate is fantastic. Maybe not inner, inner circle hall of fame, but close.
As many of us have not had enough of these legends from the 70’s and 80’s, another variation on this question could be the best American wine you’ve had since 1990. I bet Dominus or Ridge would win that, amongst the traditionalists at least.
It was a formal event held at the BV winery during the Napa Valley Wine auction. '88 or '89. About 25-30 vintages of Georges de la Tour. I remember thinking that the older Reserves had a startling, “Pauillac” like, sculpted structures, with lots of cedary fruit and just perfect balance. Then came the '58, which was just a monster, ultra rich and fat, and could have been a new vintage for all I knew. And it seemed to linger in the mouth for what seemed like a lifetime. I was dealing a lot in Classified growths back in the late 80s, and was tasting a lot of older, classic Bordeaux, and this stuck out like a sore thumb.
At the time, I thought it was easily the finest American wine I had ever tasted. And the memory just keeps reaffirming that.
Why, with all the advances in wine making, have we not cranked out better wines than those legendary old Napa Cabs? Is it due to effects of no longer being own-rooted? Or something else?
Too many “Vintage of the Century” years are diluting the pot.
It’s too early to see if vintages like '01, '02, '10, '12, and '13 will live up to those older legends. In 15 more years maybe some of us can look back at '01 or '02 with the rose colored glasses.
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