Piling on… '84 was considered a very good Napa vintage, not sure how any given bottle would be holding up at 40+
1 Like
I figured you would pop in as soon as the game was over. Yes all those 84 diamond creeks showed great especially the lake.
Game was over once the Buckeyes took the lead, but I wanted to watch every second of the beat down
Kid from Carlsbad looked good in the snow
1 Like
@Pat_Esposito I was thinking that you would be a happy camper today. My wife’s legion of Buckeye family alums in Columbus are happy, which means my wife is happy! The texts were flying for a few hours earlier today. Hope you have been drinking something nice today!
1984 was overshadowed at the time by 1985. Smart money now suggests that the two are equal; 1984 for its classicism, 1985 for its opulence. Not to mention the 1985 Groth reserve was Parkers first California 100 point wine.
My preference at least as far as Napa is concerned, was for 1984. Highlights, Phelps Eisele, Diamond Creek, Spottswood, Mondavi Reserve and Dunn Howell Mountain.
The Ridge 1984 is very fine, as is Mount Eden.
Santa Cruz Mountains over Napa Valley?
I’m on the bandwagon.
84 Mount Eden from magnum this August was so elegant, with great nose and a complex finish. I am happy to have one magnum left.
2 Likes
great i hope I can still find one on the market…
I think Napa was quite good but many of them are fading now. As others have suggested, Dunn Howell Mountain ought to be singing and on a long plateau by now. A few years back I had a Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill with some outward warning signs about provenance that was fading but hanging on- I would imagine a pristine bottle should still be in a good place. 1985 Silver Oaks have been on a gentle decline for a few years, but a 1984 in magnum is a bet I would make. Experiences with vintages of similar age of Montelena and Mondavi Reserve suggest either would be good bets too.
On Bordeaux- this is a good example of where it gets tricky to just consider the question of vintage from a binary good/bad perspective. I have very few TNs for 1984 but in general I find the vintage was very hard with tannins and structures that threatened to overwhelm the fruit in time. The vintage is not flawed in the way you would find with something like 1977 that is likely undrinkable now- but just not a great year. Mouton is a top 1984 and I am still sitting on a few waiting for them to resolve. I am anticipating a wine that would go best with a cheese course- resolved with paling savory fruit but still a good bit of structure- and thus be be very interesting, though limited in ways to present it ideally with food. The secret with wines like 84 Mouton is having the willingness to hold them a very long time until they are at their best- even longer than a good to great vintage.
2 Likes
The 1984 Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon showed really well a year ago; impressive for a 40-year-old.
1 Like
good to know, just dropped my bid for KL 84’ montelena…hope I dont get outbid…