Procedure, and Conclusions from the Tasting:
This tasting got off to a good start, participants agreeing that the opportunity to taste 50-year-old wines is relatively rare. It was therefore booked out in 75 minutes from posting. All wines have been cellared in Wellington since original purchase ... variously from 1978 to 1981. In the event, the bottles opened well, only one bottle (but sadly, a rare wine in New Zealand, the Heitz) being lightly TCA-affected. 1975 is still well before the absolute nadir of cork quality, in the later 1980s and 1990s.
In discussion introducing the tasting, we agreed that primary berry characters and distinguishing varietal qualities would be long in the past. The emphasis now was on the harmony, balance and complexity of secondary and tertiary characteristics, relative to oak handling. All the wines still retained sufficient fruit to carry the oak, even the lesser ones, but for some, the feeling emerged that fruit might soon be on the retreat, leaving the oak tending exposed. Such an evaluation reflects the views of people seeking genuine complexity in fully mature wines, where delicacy is rated ahead of size. Tasters accustomed more to modern supermarket reds, many now even with residual sugar (though this is never mentioned by wine reviewers, Jancis Robinson excepted), would find some of the wines frail or skinny. All wines have been cellared in near-ideal under-house conditions in Wellington’s excessively temperate climate, since purchase at release. All had been stood for three weeks following retrieval, to optimise clarity and condition. All the wines, even the lightest, stood well for at least 24 hours, when held in a frig. They were however decanted exceedingly gently … in effect just slid off the sediment, from the original bottles to the less-gurgly burgundy presentation bottle. For the reds, these bottles were then masked in numbered cloth bags … for a fully blind tasting.
The presentation order of the wines is chosen by careful pre-tasting of the settling dregs, to achieve a sequence which optimises the sensory characteristics of the wines. In general, wine #1 is a scene-setter, neither the best or the worst, more a wine which captures the essence of the tasting. In this case that is the fragrance and delight of fully-mature claret-style reds. Then in the first half of the tasting lesser bottles are arranged in a sympatico sequence, so that (for example) an excessively tannic wine is not alongside an aethereally frail one. Usually the better bottles are in the second half of the tasting, but not necessarily with the (arguably) ‘best’ wine in the final position. The goal is for tasters to carefully assess the varying attributes of fragrance, delicacy, beauty, richness, typicity, complexity and depth before deciding which is their favourite wine, their second-favourite, and their least wine.
General colour, weight and condition can be seen in Photo 1. For the reds, some still retained quite a ruby flush in their mature ruby to garnet hues. Wines which originally were quite dense in youth are now still a good medium weight of colour … for a 50-year-old wine. Even the lightest are still pleasing. The champagne opened with only the slightest whisper of CO2 pressure, after its 40 – 44 or so years after disgorgement, but the wine itself smelt fresh and exciting – though nothing like present-day releases. And the sauternes could hardly have better reflected the character of Ch Coutet at maturity, aromatic and again exciting, with great fruit. The white wines were not included in the rankings for top wines of the tasting. I imagine either the champagne or the sauternes would have been the favourite of all 12 wines, for more than one taster. See Photo 2, at end of main text / before the reviews.
Photo 1, the 1975 Tasting: This is the sight tasters settled to, once the wines had been poured. The first six wines in the front row, the second six behind. Wine 1, the 1975 Taittinger Comtes, in lovely order despite its 50 years, and fragrant and exciting to taste as well, 18.5+; wine 2, 1975 Prieuré Lichine, the all-important ‘sighter wine’ to shape up the tasting, the wine highly typical (for bordeaux), fragrant, ripe and harmonious, a little small-scale, 17.5+; then wine 3, 1974 Charles Krug Cabernet Sauvignon, the lightest red of the tasting, but pleasing, appropriately ripe, and not out of place, 16.5+; Wine 4, 1975 Ch Talbot, the lightest and least of the bordeaux, lacking a little ripeness, so the acid and tannin of the year showing, 17; Wine 5, 1975 Ch Leoville Barton, a bigger wine than Prieuré, but less harmonious, not quite so ripe, 17.5; and to the right in the front row, wine 6, 1975 Ch la Mission Haut-Brion, the wine for which hopes were so high given its reputation, price and being from magnum, but though the darkest, the wine a disappointment, massively over-ripe, lacking bordeaux typicité, freshness and bouquet, and totally hot New World in style, 17+. In the back row, Wine 7, also a big wine but one which has matured into something fragrant and complex, 1975 Stanley Leasingham Bin 49 Cabernet Sauvignon, 17.5+; then to wine 8: because of the equally noticeable oak handling, it seemed logical to have the other New Would wine, the lighter 1977 Heitz Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon alongside it. On the night it was fractionally impaired by TCA, but cleaned up well, becoming highly varietal, not quite perfectly ripe, see text, 17.5; then in position 9, the great surprise of the tasting, 1975 Ch Tahbilk Cabernet, the second-deepest red, a wine of extraordinary quality and now, perfect maturity, 18; at position 10 1975 Ch Montrose, classic fragrant claret now fully mature, not quite ideally rich, 18+; then wine 11, the last of the reds, 1975 Ch Leoville Las Cases, by far the most fragrant, supple and beautiful of all the reds, a wine of First-Growth quality, 18.5 +; finally 1975 Ch Coutet from Barsac, a simply wonderful and complex sauternes, far surpassing the reputation of the vintage, 19+. Afterwards, when it came to the clearing away of the glasses, there was barely a trace of any wine left … an eloquent assessment of the nett interest of the wines.
1975 Bordeaux:
In 1996 Robert Parker was able to taste nearly 40 1975 Bordeaux. He concluded (paraphrased and rearranged somewhat):
The 1975 Bordeaux vintage has seen its reputation tarnished by one after another critical review. The early enthusiasm for the vintage has been replaced by revisionists claiming the wines to be out of balance, tannic, and charmless. ... there are far too many wines that lack fruit and ripeness, and as a result are astringent, bitterly tannic, unfriendly beverages. However, this vintage, which has lost favor in the auction market, has enough top wines to warrant more interest than it often receives.
While they will always have a tannic bite, the top wines are potentially 35-50 year wines. No, they do not possess the sweet, supple, flamboyant, or ostentatious ripeness or richness of a 1982 or 1990, but the finest examples represent top clarets made in an undeniably old-fashioned style, which may be the underlying reason why many wine enthusiasts weaned on more supple and fruity wines, have given up on them.
The 1975 Pomerols (the most limited production wines of Bordeaux) are splendid, exhibiting extraordinary ripeness and richness, as well as the tell-tale, tough tannin that is an integral part of even the greatest 1975s. In other areas, especially the northern Graves (led by La Mission-Haut-Brion, La Tour-Haut-Brion, Pape-Clément, and Haut-Brion), there are successful wines. In the Médoc, some tannic, but impressively structured, long-term wines were produced.
Then from the other side of the Atlantic, two views. First Jane Anson in her authoritative 2021 book: Inside Bordeaux summarises the vintage thus: Harvest began on September 22nd, and a reduced quantity allowed better concentration and flavours. I did a horizontal of this vintage a few years ago and wines that were tough for many decades had softened into rather lovely bottles with Forts de Latour, Haut-Brion and Lynch Bages particularly impressive.
In an earlier 2015 review, Anson comments: There is real charm in re-tasting what was arguably the last good vintage made in the old style ... and in considering: how classic old school Bordeaux can age. I suggest opening the bottles just a short time before drinking to preserve the delicate aromas.
We are somewhat constrained in that latter point, with the need to prepare the wine off-site, coupled with the inevitable delays (with corks) which will occur in opening 12 nearly fifty-year-old bottles. But my decanting technique emphasises the most gentle sliding of the wines from the original bottle into the less-splashy presentation burgundy bottle. It has been developed and refined over many years, to cater exactly to her concern.
Perhaps a last word to Jancis Robinson. First in a 2021 review of six highly-rated 1975s she says:
Claret is the right word for the relatively lean 1975 bordeaux, which have at long last blossomed. At the top end anyway … The vintage was received with great relief by the wine trade because there hadn’t been a successful vintage since 1970 but it was notoriously high in tannin – and was made in the pre-1982 era when it was extremely difficult to ripen grapes fully and young wines tended to taste extremely high in acid too.
But then with reference to this Library Tasting, in 2008 Robinson had the great good fortune to be part of a special '25 years on' tasting of 55 vintages of our anchor wine, 1975 Ch La Mission Haut-Brion. This tasting marked the anniversary of the Dillons (from Ch Haut-Brion) buying Ch La Mission Haut-Brion from the Woltners, in 1983.
This Robinson article likely presents the most authoritative review of the postwar years at Ch La Mission Haut-Brion. In it she classifies 11 of the years as ‘great’ vintages ... the ones you would expect ... 1945, 1953, 1955, 1959, 1961, 1982, 1989, 1990, 1996, 200, 2005 ... but not in fact including the 1975. She has 1975 in a second group of ‘successes ... less predictable’.
But it is easy to understand Robert Parker’s enthusiasm for the 1975 La Mission Haut-Brion, at the time. As arguably the top wine of the 1975 vintage (though there are Pomerol and Saint-Emilion contenders) it has to be seen in the context of the many dreadful bordeaux vintages in the 1970s. Plus this was earlier in Parker’s career, when the generally larger wines of the Napa Valley loomed large in his thinking.
As seen in the context of the best Ch La Mission Haut-Brions ever made (up to 2008), this is Robinson’s summary of the 1975 in that review: Deep ruby with a brick rim. Sweet if relatively light nose. A dry finish after sweet fruit on the mid palate. Rather dusty. Pretty dry, even dried out – dried fruit character – although with food it was much more appealing, 17.5.
Let us hope our magnum by virtue of its greater volume retains more of the original fruit generosity of the young wine ... to balance the tannin.
1975 Champagne:
The 1975 vintage was regarded as excellent, a year of restraint, good ripeness with model acid balances, firm wine with the depth suited to cellaring. This is reflected in the top wines of the vintage still maintaining high prices in the Wine-Searcher index. 1996 is a more recent vintage analogy. The 1975 champagnes contrast considerably with the warmer-year 1976s to follow.
‘1975’ California:
For California the thought in this Tasting is more to present wines approximately 50 years old, rather than the exact 1975 vintage. Tasters will recall that my previous 1975 review (in 2015) included 1975 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon Martha's Vineyard ... a benchmark wine of its era. This year we have the standard 1977 Cabernet Sauvignon from Heitz … still a well-regarded wine. 1977 in the Napa Valley was a warm year, some vineyards using irrigation, plus rain that fell before the cabernet harvest. It is recalled as a satisfactory rather than good year, Broadbent 2 stars, but the fact our standard 1977 Heitz Cabernet Sauvignon retains a value of $NZ807 on the Wine-Searcher index suggests that it is one of the better wines of the year.
For our Heitz Vineyard wine, a rare bottle in New Zealand, a little background: In an intriguing article in the New York Times, the paper's long-standing and perceptive wine columnist Eric Asimov reviews the approach now taken at Heitz Vineyard, following the death of Joe Heitz in 2000, and the 2018 sale of the property. Asimov makes clear that the emphasis will be on continuing the distinctive approach of Joe Heitz, just adapted a little. Heitz was a a graduate of the UC Davis wine school, in 1951. He seems to have graduated with a great faith in the importance of pH and acid in the red wines ... an approach reminiscent of last century’s Roseworthy graduates closer to home, and Penfolds
practice for their classic shiraz wines. Unlike Penfolds, the Heitz approach went further, blocking the MLF fermentation in their reds. Both wineries routinely add tartaric acid. The goal for Heitz was to produce more fragrant, lighter and refreshing reds. From early on, the wines were fermented in stainless steel, then pressed off just before the end of the primary fermentation into American oak and (at that time) redwood upright vats, for about 12 months. The reds complete their elevation in small oak, perhaps for our wine some American oak, latterly more French, for 24 months for the Napa Valley blend. Even this wine is then held for a further 12 months at the winery, before release. Of the 1980s reds Asimov tasted at the winery in 2019, he reports that all but one were: lively, graceful and beautifully integrated. ... These would not be mistaken for contemporary wines. That appraisal applies equally to our bottle.
The second Californian red will be from the 1974 vintage, a revered vintage there, rated by Broadbent as an extremely good vintage, five stars. Neither of our bottles enjoy great reputations, so the hope is they still illustrate the essentials of Californian cabernet-led wines of the 70s, and contrast somewhat with the often bolder Australian emerging cabernet sauvignon wines of that era.
1975 Australia:
Our first-choice wines from Australia are both 1975s. For South Australia the year is recalled as medium-weight and quality, with some rains in March. Quality depended on the aspirations and tasting experience of the winemaker. While Australia in that era was light years ahead of New Zealand, nonetheless, it was still early days in the transition from the previously ubiquitous fortified wines to table wines. Unlike New Zealand, red wines were the dominant first table wine in those early days, and almost entirely shiraz. Cabernet Sauvignon was very much the newcomer.
One of our wines, 1975 Stanley Leasingham Cabernet Sauvignon Bin 49, was also presented in our 2015 1975 review. At that point it was much less boisterous than in its youth, with good fruit balance – but still pretty sturdy. The second wine in the current review is from Tahbilk in Victoria, then still called Chateau Tahbilk. It is included for sentimental reasons, the winery long having been a favourite of mine. The wine will be lighter, and might match some of the Bordeaux more closely.
1975 Sauternes:
Broadbent felt that 1976 was the only year producing exciting sauternes winestyles in the 70s. He rated 1975 similarly to 1970 and 1971 as three stars. Since some of those other years have in fact produced wonderfully satisfying bottles, our example should at least be representative of the style.
The 2015 Library Tasting of 1975 wines:
The following is edited / re-arranged information based on the handout for my earlier 1975 tasting, on Thursday 16 April, 2015. It was written up here.
1975 is an interesting vintage. It has never had a great press, yet for Bordeaux, if you study the literature, it almost reluctantly emerges as perhaps the second best vintage of the 1970s, after 1970 itself. It was a stern and tannic year, which is not so appealing to modern palates, but that tannin has enabled the good / rich ones to live. Alternatively, the hotter-year but also rain-affected 1976s might be considered, or the smaller-scale but more balanced 1978s. As we found a few years ago in comparing the two vintages, the 1979 Bordeaux are essentially a smaller-again versions of the ‘78s.
For reasons which will be touched on at the tasting, there will be a caveat re the wines presented. I cannot make my usual quality-assurances, in 2025. For the La Mission Haut-Brion, because of the interest surrounding the wine, even if there is a fault, it will be presented irrespective. This is to allow keen people to examine the underlying character of the wine, which they may otherwise never taste. It IS possible to 'see' through faults – but the will to want do so has to be there. For the other red wines, there are alternative but sometimes lesser bottles. For the New World wines, there are some alternatives. For the Sauternes, there is a second bottle.
It is perhaps hard for latter-day wine people to realise quite how poor and mostly light the red wine vintages of the 1970s were, in Bordeaux. In Europe the seasons were cooler – it seems unlikely the 1976 'heatwave' would cause so much excitement today.
The wines of the 1970s were in general of lighter build than we are accustomed to now. Cropping rates at many chateaux were significantly greater than now, and ripeness was therefore less easily achieved. These factors were aggravated by the seasons in general being cooler. Further, few wines then had second labels, to cull their lesser barrels to.
Thus Michael Broadbent in introducing the 1975 vintage in his 1980 magnum opus, started off with: A timely vintage of undoubtedly high quality. Whether it will turn out to be a great vintage only time will tell; but at least, unlike the preceding three vintages, it is a vin de garde year, with impressively deep-coloured wines worth – indeed needing – cellaring. Clive Coates in 1995 thought: For a decade or more, pundits have been writing down the 1975 claret vintage: too tannic, too austere, too dry, too tough for its own good. it won't ever come round, soften up, make generous bottles, it was said. ... almost the only person who has kept faith with 1975 is Emile Peynaud ... the best year between 1961 and 1982 ... just needed time …
The 1975 vintage is a year which demonstrates that quality is inversely proportional to quantity. ... 1973 was similar climatically ... but there were 40% more grapes ... naturally in 1975 the individual berries would be riper and more concentrated.
David Peppercorn, a Bordeaux commentator always worth listening to, in speaking of the 1975s, commented ruefully in 1998 that: They lack the balance and charm of the '61s, which some optimists believed them to resemble at an early stage. Yet he goes on to say, for the Medoc: At some chateau 1975 is looking like the best vintage of the decade, with the tannins peeling away to reveal rich concentrated classic wines with power and fruit. Elsewhere the tannins can seem too dry.
By the time of his 2002 revision of his great cellar notes work, however, Broadbent is saying of the 1975s: ... the wines have turned out to be irregular ... controversial ... Initially, I must confess, I was impressed by the '75s, but over the last decade I have noticed an imbalance between both the chateaux and the wines.
By 2003 Robert Parker could say: After numerous opportunities to taste and discuss the style of this vintage with many proprietors and winemakers, it is apparent that the majority of growers should have harvested their Cabernet Sauvignon later. Many feel it was picked too soon, and the fact that at that time many were not totally destemming only served to exacerbate the relatively hard, astringent tannins. Parker was particularly impressed with the top 1975 Pomerols, none of which we have, sadly. We do however have a couple of wines he rates very well, for the vintage.
References:
Anson, Jane, 2020: Inside Bordeaux: The Châteaux, Their Wines and the Terroir Berry Bros. & Rudd Press, 670 pp.
Asimov, Eric, 2019: For Historic Heitz in Napa, a New Team but Same Old Methods. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/dining/drinks/wine-heitz-cellar-cabernet-sauvignon.html
Broadbent, Michael, 1980: The Great Vintage Wine Book. Mitchell Beazley, 432 p.
Broadbent, Michael, 2002: Michael Broadbent's Vintage Wine. Harcourt / Webster's International, 560 p.
Coates, Clive, 1995: Grands Vins: The Finest Chateaux of Bordeaux and Their Wines. University of California Press. 736 p.
Evans, Len, 1978: Complete Book of Australian Wine. Hamlyn, 512 p.
Halliday, James, 1985: The Australian Wine Compendium. Angus & Robertson, Sydney, 576 p.
Halliday, James, 1993: Wine Atlas of California. Angus & Robertson / HarperCollins, Sydney, 400 p.
Parker, Robert M, 1991: Bordeaux. Simon & Schuster, New York, 1026 p.
Parker, Robert M, 2003: Bordeaux, Fourth Edition. Simon & Schuster, New York, 1244 p.
Peppercorn, David, 1998: Wines of Bordeaux. Mitchell Beazley Pocket Guides, London. 248 p.
Thompson, David, 2024: Heitz Cellar. https://www.napawineproject.com/heitz-wine-cellar
www.decanter.com = latterly, Jane Anson for Bordeaux, some free material on website, subscription needed for longer articles, and reviews
www.jancisrobinson.com = Jancis Robinson MW and Julia Harding MW, plus now associates, some free articles, subscription needed for reviews
https://www.robertparker.com = Robert Parker and successors, vintage chart, subscription needed for reviews
https://www.wine-searcher.com = free access to basic functions. Need to click 'Shop Location: All countries' to get realistic valuations for New Zealand.
The Net generally ... open-ended questions such as: 'review 2010 Ch Montrose' will often provide free-access single reviews from sites beyond one's own immediate subscription list. As always, discrimination needed.
THE WINES REVIEWED:
Photo 2, the top wines of the tasting: For this Library Tasting, the primary goal was to have a slightly different and memorable event. Hence the introductory champagne, and the concluding sauternes, both from the same 1975 theme year. Accordingly, we did not pursue which of the 12 wines was each taster’s favourite. The analysis was confined to the reds, which were presented blind. This second photo therefore shows what I would surmise to be the favourite wines of the tasting. From the left, 1975 Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Blanc de Blancs, showing its miserable 40mm cork, which retained only a whisper of C02 pressure on opening, but the wine thankfully still wonderfully fresh, complex autolysis, still with fruit and body, hints of meursault, 18½+. Then the fourth favourite of the reds, the quite famous in its day 1975 Stanley Leasingham Bin 49 Cabernet Sauvignon, in its freshness, richness and harmony appealing more than several of the bordeaux, though bolder, 17½+. In the left middle a full bottle of the remarkable 1975 Tahbilk Cabernet, the bottle tasted having a better fill but a damaged label. This wine was simply astonishing, in its gentle charm, berry complexity and relative richness convincing nearly all tasters it was a fine bordeaux, East Bank more than Medoc in style. No hint of Australian-style mint (or worse), size, boldness, or oak, 18. Then the Ch Montrose, almost archetypal claret, still attractive berry, cedary oak, just a trace of the acid and tannin of the year, 18+. And to the right, the remarkable 1975 Ch Leoville Las Cases, supreme elegance and suppleness, this bottle of First Growth quality, 18½+. And on the far right, to conclude this special Library Tasting, 1975 Ch Coutet from Barsac, complex, rich and lingering, in phenomenal condition, as good a Coutet as any I have tasted from the 1970s, 19+.
In the simpler times of the 1970s, listing alcohol content on the label was not common. The first price given is the current Wine-Searcher value, expressed (usually) in $NZ. An approximate indication of the original purchase price is in the text following, if a record or good clues are available. The all-important cork details and ullage for each bottle are given, before the background to the wine. In the sequence of reviews below, the champagne is listed first, then the 10 reds in rank order, and finally the sauternes.
Reims, Champagne, France: – %; $1,153 [ cork 40mm, ullage 70mm; original cost $35.95; cepage Ch 100%;
Tyson Stelzer regards Comtes de Champagne as amongst the very finest and most consistent blanc de blancs of Champagne. Fruit is drawn from a range of sites in the Cote des Blancs. 5% of the blend is aged for four months in new to 4-year-old French oak, to add subtle complexity. Full MLF. The wine spends at least eight years en tirage. Broadbent, 2002: slightly minty, lanolin nose, very good flavour, perfect acidity, *****; RP@RP, 2010: The 1975 Comtes de Champagne offers up truffles, mushrooms and autumn leaves in a mid-weight, fairly open style of Comtes. The wine turns more delicate in the glass; in fact it is quite a bit better composed on the palate than on the nose. Today the 1975 comes across as fully mature, 93; weight bottle and closure 969 g; www.taittinger.com ]
Straw, a wash of light gold, and the faintest trace of amber. At opening, there was only the slightest whisper of CO2 pressure; by the time the wine was poured (a minute or two) it was not even visibly petillant in the glass. But glory be, it still smelt fresh and vital. But how sad such a prestige wine, more expensive at $35.95 than any of the classed Medocs in the tasting, should be let down by Taittinger economising with the miserable 40mm corks. A ‘standard’ champagne cork for a quality non-vintage bubbly such as Lanson Black Label is 46 mm … and a few producers go as far as 49mm. The bouquet smells of baguette-crust, cashews and even a hint of hazelnut, all wrapped in gold-fleshed peach fruit … perhaps more (quality) glacé peach than canned or fresh-cut, plus a mealy hint of oatmeal biscuits. The thought occurs that this bouquet would not be out of place in a 1975 Meursault tasting. Palate shows astonishing fruit richness and dry extract, still some dosage evident adding to the perceived palate weight, and a remarkable length of flavour, including just a suggestion of oak. The acid of the year is still noticeable. Likely the dosage was higher then than now, but the total wine bouquet and flavour are a delight. Only on the late finish is there a hint of tannin peeping through – presumably from a barrel-age component. Tasters loved the wine, it being the oldest champagne many had tasted. Hard to score. GK 03/25
Tyson Stelzer regards Comtes de Champagne as amongst the very finest and most consistent blanc de blancs of Champagne. Fruit is drawn from a range of sites in the Cote des Blancs. 5% of the blend is aged for four months in new to 4-year-old French oak, to add subtle complexity. Full MLF. The wine spends at least eight years en tirage. Broadbent, 2002: slightly minty, lanolin nose, very good flavour, perfect acidity, *****; RP@RP, 2010: The 1975 Comtes de Champagne offers up truffles, mushrooms and autumn leaves in a mid-weight, fairly open style of Comtes. The wine turns more delicate in the glass; in fact it is quite a bit better composed on the palate than on the nose. Today the 1975 comes across as fully mature, 93; weight bottle and closure 969 g; www.taittinger.com ]
Straw, a wash of light gold, and the faintest trace of amber. At opening, there was only the slightest whisper of CO2 pressure; by the time the wine was poured (a minute or two) it was not even visibly petillant in the glass. But glory be, it still smelt fresh and vital. But how sad such a prestige wine, more expensive at $35.95 than any of the classed Medocs in the tasting, should be let down by Taittinger economising with the miserable 40mm corks. A ‘standard’ champagne cork for a quality non-vintage bubbly such as Lanson Black Label is 46 mm … and a few producers go as far as 49mm. The bouquet smells of baguette-crust, cashews and even a hint of hazelnut, all wrapped in gold-fleshed peach fruit … perhaps more (quality) glacé peach than canned or fresh-cut, plus a mealy hint of oatmeal biscuits. The thought occurs that this bouquet would not be out of place in a 1975 Meursault tasting. Palate shows astonishing fruit richness and dry extract, still some dosage evident adding to the perceived palate weight, and a remarkable length of flavour, including just a suggestion of oak. The acid of the year is still noticeable. Likely the dosage was higher then than now, but the total wine bouquet and flavour are a delight. Only on the late finish is there a hint of tannin peeping through – presumably from a barrel-age component. Tasters loved the wine, it being the oldest champagne many had tasted. Hard to score. GK 03/25
Second-Growth, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux:, France: – %; $396 [ cork 54mm, ullage 19mm; original price c.$26; cepage around CS 67%, Me 17, CF 13, PV 3; Parker considers the 1975 Las Cases: as profound as most of the Medoc’s first-growths. JR@JR, 2011: Very correct and dry but actually much sweeter and more winning than most wines made in the 1970s at this estate. Firmer and drier than the Ch Latour 1975 served alongside it. Strong blackcurrant flavours. Dry but fine and very Las Cases. A really good wine, to 2035, 17.5; NM@RP, 2011: The ’75 has a lovely mature nose of mulberry, cedar, pine and a touch of gravel with very good definition and poise. The palate is not quite as attractive as the nose, but is fresh and lively with good acidity, degraded tertiary dark red fruits interlaced with tobacco and cedar, leading to an elegant supple finish with touches of wild mushroom. Very pleasing, 90; Parker, 1996: This is one of the great successes of the vintage. However, those with modern day tastes for soft, easy-going, supple wines may not enjoy the 1975 Leoville Las-Cases. Why? It is a tannic, backward, old style wine cut from the mold of such vintages as 1948 and 1928. The color is a dark ruby/garnet with a hint of amber at the edge. The nose offers up distinctive mineral, lead pencil, sweet, blackcurrant scents with flinty overtones. Full-bodied, thick, and concentrated, as well as atypically muscular and powerful, this should prove to be one of the longest-lived wines of the vintage. There are sensational levels of richness and intensity. While the vintage's tough tannin level ensures another 20-35 years of longevity, the wine may dry out by that time. I thought this wine would be at its peak by the mid-nineties, but it still needs another 5-8 years of cellaring. It is a very impressive, albeit backward and hard wine, 92; weight bottle and closure 561 g; www.domaines-delon.com ]
A lovely glowing ruby and garnet, marginally the reddest / most youthful-looking, at nearly 50 years of age not a deep wine now, but still the third-richest colour. Bouquet is simply fine and fragrant elegant claret, cassis browning now naturally, exquisite cedary oak, lovely berry ripeness, some brown tobacco. The harmony the wine shows in mouth is very attractive, soft mature browning fruit framed in fragrant oak, surprising richness and almost a silky texture, none of the untoward acid or tannin associated with the year, fully mature and harmonious. Those accustomed only to young wines would not immediately see the wine in the above terms: treasuring older wine is an elusive skill acquired only with persistence and experience. Nothing further to be gained from holding this wine: in warmer cellars fruit may already be retreating. Top wine for seven tasters, second favourite for three more, nearly all being clear the wine was from Bordeaux. GK 03/25
A lovely glowing ruby and garnet, marginally the reddest / most youthful-looking, at nearly 50 years of age not a deep wine now, but still the third-richest colour. Bouquet is simply fine and fragrant elegant claret, cassis browning now naturally, exquisite cedary oak, lovely berry ripeness, some brown tobacco. The harmony the wine shows in mouth is very attractive, soft mature browning fruit framed in fragrant oak, surprising richness and almost a silky texture, none of the untoward acid or tannin associated with the year, fully mature and harmonious. Those accustomed only to young wines would not immediately see the wine in the above terms: treasuring older wine is an elusive skill acquired only with persistence and experience. Nothing further to be gained from holding this wine: in warmer cellars fruit may already be retreating. Top wine for seven tasters, second favourite for three more, nearly all being clear the wine was from Bordeaux. GK 03/25
Second-Growth, Saint-Estephe, Bordeaux:, France: – %; $324 [ cork 54mm, ullage 28mm, original cost $18.10; cepage around CS 65%, Me 25, CF 10; 22 – 24 months in barrel, % new then not clear, but this was during the phase of making Montrose 'lighter / more accessible', so maybe not high; Like the Tahbilk, included for sentimental reasons … but it has also emerged as one of the better 1975s; NM@RP, 2017: … an elegant bouquet with a floral bent, well defined, light but focused with black cherries and cranberry infused with loamy scents. The palate has a little chewiness on the entry, nicely balanced and precise (within the context of winemaking in this period), fresh and composed towards the finish that gives off a touch of volatility. That said, this magnum was far superior to the 1976 …, 89; Robinson, 2005: This was very impressive – although note the suggested drinking bracket, 2008 - 2018. This is a very long haul wine, but definitely one of the more successful candidates from this extremely tannic vintage. The wine looks fully mature and has a thoroughly exciting complex nose with just the right amount of lift. Lots of richness on the nose and great extract but very dry, dense chewy tannins – still! But the fruit density suggests this will make a great drink – eventually, 18; Parker, 1996: Still backward, although the color is beginning to exhibit amber/rust at the edge, this large-scaled, muscular, charmless Montrose is structured enough to be admired, but I wonder if there is enough fruit to hold for another 10 years? Full-bodied, with earthy, dusty, red and black fruit aromas, this tannic, behemoth needs another 2-3 years of cellaring. The jury is still out on this one, 87; weight bottle and closure 579 g; www.chateau-montrose.com ]
A similar ruby and garnet hue as in the Las Cases, one of the more ruby wines, but in terms of richness of colour, more in the middle. On bouquet this wine is fractionally more browning cassis-dominant, the oak nearly as fine as the Las Cases, but the balance a little less fruit-forward, a little more brown tobacco and oak complexity. No VA. Palate is classic older-style bordeaux, just a little leaner than Las Cases, a trace of the acid and tannin of the year, yet all wonderfully light and refreshing on the tongue. It would be perfect with lamb. Like the Las Cases, tasters were certain this was bordeaux, five rating it the top wine, and six their second-favourite. The score reflects my liking for these light and elegant, complex, fully-mature clarets of yester-year: some would find it a bit small for near-gold medal level marking. GK 03/25
A similar ruby and garnet hue as in the Las Cases, one of the more ruby wines, but in terms of richness of colour, more in the middle. On bouquet this wine is fractionally more browning cassis-dominant, the oak nearly as fine as the Las Cases, but the balance a little less fruit-forward, a little more brown tobacco and oak complexity. No VA. Palate is classic older-style bordeaux, just a little leaner than Las Cases, a trace of the acid and tannin of the year, yet all wonderfully light and refreshing on the tongue. It would be perfect with lamb. Like the Las Cases, tasters were certain this was bordeaux, five rating it the top wine, and six their second-favourite. The score reflects my liking for these light and elegant, complex, fully-mature clarets of yester-year: some would find it a bit small for near-gold medal level marking. GK 03/25
Nagambie Lakes, Victoria, Australia: 12.7%; $ – [ cork 46mm, ullage 44mm, original cost $4.65; the 12.7% alcohol hand-typed on each label; again no Wine-Searcher valuation, beyond belief for one of Australia's most important red wine labels; cepage CS dominant; understood to be some CF and odd others in the vineyard at the time; the grapes picked less ripe than many in (for example) the Barossa Valley, elevage then largely traditional, mostly big old wood (2,250 litres) for 18 – 24 months, the wines then having little or no new oak; both these attributes made the Tahbilk reds attractive with food, in an era when ‘progressive’ winemakers were discovering new oak, and often using too much of it; this the standard wine, Reserve bottlings being labelled Cabernet Sauvignon; no specific reviews found, though Len Evans, 1978 notes that some of the early ‘70s wines were lighter, with: an extremely interesting, almost aromatic, quality in the fruit, almost a ‘sappiness’, which I find quite fascinating. I’ve never found this before in Tahbilk wines and hope that it builds in bottle. It is a most attractive ‘extra dimension’ to the style. From the astonishing way the Tahbilk fitted in with the bordeaux wines, I suspect Len Evans would be well-pleased with this 1975 example; weight bottle and closure 526 g; www.tahbilk.com.au ]
This was the surprise wine of the tasting, for exactly the reasons that at the time set it apart from most of its Australian peers: no slavish addiction to new oak. Instead the fruit is not over-ripe, the alcohol low by Australian standards, therefore the wine was fragrant, and even when young accompanied food wonderfully. The Tahbilk reds of the 1960s, 70s, and into the 80s all followed this near-European style. This wine is totally berry-dominant. It is the second deepest wine, just a good mature claret weight. Though the colour is a little more garnet than the top two, the berry dominance – browning cassis and dark plum, makes up for that. There is just a hint of oak. In mouth the wine is a little richer than the top two clarets, and the oak is a bit less cedary and elegant, but the berry-rich mouthfeel is a delight. Even at full maturity, it is much more Saint Emilion in style than Medoc or Australian – the magic of some Victorian wine districts. Four tasters rated this their top wine, five their second-favourite, and 16 of the 21 thought it Bordeaux. A stunning result, particularly considering the greater ullage than the other bottles. Tahbilk did not seem to have access to good corks in the 1970s. I have for example lost all my 1972 Tahbilk Cabernets, due to cork shrinkage. At peak maturity, no great hurry (in a cool cellar) … apart from the corks. GK 03/25
This was the surprise wine of the tasting, for exactly the reasons that at the time set it apart from most of its Australian peers: no slavish addiction to new oak. Instead the fruit is not over-ripe, the alcohol low by Australian standards, therefore the wine was fragrant, and even when young accompanied food wonderfully. The Tahbilk reds of the 1960s, 70s, and into the 80s all followed this near-European style. This wine is totally berry-dominant. It is the second deepest wine, just a good mature claret weight. Though the colour is a little more garnet than the top two, the berry dominance – browning cassis and dark plum, makes up for that. There is just a hint of oak. In mouth the wine is a little richer than the top two clarets, and the oak is a bit less cedary and elegant, but the berry-rich mouthfeel is a delight. Even at full maturity, it is much more Saint Emilion in style than Medoc or Australian – the magic of some Victorian wine districts. Four tasters rated this their top wine, five their second-favourite, and 16 of the 21 thought it Bordeaux. A stunning result, particularly considering the greater ullage than the other bottles. Tahbilk did not seem to have access to good corks in the 1970s. I have for example lost all my 1972 Tahbilk Cabernets, due to cork shrinkage. At peak maturity, no great hurry (in a cool cellar) … apart from the corks. GK 03/25
Fourth-Growth, Margaux, Bordeaux:, France: – %; $212 [ cork 54mm, ullage 20mm, original cost $13.50; cepage around CS 44%, Me 44, CF 6, PV 6; 16 – 18 months in barrel, % new then not clear. Writing in 1990, Robert Parker thought the wines of this chateau to be made in a modern ... style … supple, quick to mature, but enough tannin and, in good vintages, substance to age well for 8 – 12 years. Reviews are scarce … though the teaser fragment (on the Net) from James Suckling says: Love the freshness and finesse with medium body, currants and lemon grass …; the removal of older reviews from the new Robert Parker site, now it is run by commercial interests, not wine-lovers, is to be deplored. The only access to reviews of wines such as this is now via the paper editions of The Wine Advocate, and his books: Parker, 1984: A typical 1975, tough, hard, and backward, the Prieure has a leathery, ripe fragrance. Full bodied and astringent with hard, tannic flavors, this wine is just beginning to show signs of shedding its tannins and revealing some ripe, fleshy fruit. Anticipated maturity: Now – 1998, 83; weight bottle and closure 567 g; https://prieure-lichine.fr/en ]
Colour is an elegant garnet and ruby, fractionally below midway in depth. One sniff and this wine unequivocally declares itself fragrant cedary claret, almost a Pauillac lift to it, browning cassis and some hints of fruit-cake, elegant oak, just lovely. On palate the cedary oak becomes a little more noticeable, the fruit a little less than the bouquet promises, but the ripeness good, cassis rather than blackcurrant, clearly riper than the Talbot. The wine is beautifully fine-grained, a tribute to Alexis Lichine then at the height of his powers. Fruit is just starting to retreat though, so time to finish up. Nobody had the Prieuré-Lichine rating first or second, but 16 of the 21 tasters were clear it was bordeaux. GK 03/25
Colour is an elegant garnet and ruby, fractionally below midway in depth. One sniff and this wine unequivocally declares itself fragrant cedary claret, almost a Pauillac lift to it, browning cassis and some hints of fruit-cake, elegant oak, just lovely. On palate the cedary oak becomes a little more noticeable, the fruit a little less than the bouquet promises, but the ripeness good, cassis rather than blackcurrant, clearly riper than the Talbot. The wine is beautifully fine-grained, a tribute to Alexis Lichine then at the height of his powers. Fruit is just starting to retreat though, so time to finish up. Nobody had the Prieuré-Lichine rating first or second, but 16 of the 21 tasters were clear it was bordeaux. GK 03/25
Clare Valley, South Australia, Australia: – %; $ – [ cork 45mm, ullage 35mm, original cost $11.57; no Wine-Searcher valuation ... surprising considering how favourably this wine was rated in its day … sadly Penfolds rather steals the limelight; cepage CS 90%, Ma 10; A highly-regarded (and expensive) wine at the time, gold medals at Sydney, Adelaide and Perth, but one reflecting the new-fangled craze for new oak in the New World; Stanley Leasingham became part of the Hardy group in 1987, and is now lost in the latter-day Constellation Wines grouping. Len Evans, 1978: Tim Knappstein has developed this style into one of the classic regional dry red styles of Australia. These are magnificent wines with tremendous berry fruit, a full rich palate with excellent oak integration and a firm tannin/acid finish … The ‘75 is a return to the old standard [1966 – ‘71]. A big firm strongly flavoured cabernet, it will need many years to develop its full potential. Clare reds are noted for their longevity …; weight bottle and closure 539 g; no website ]
Ruby and garnet, a little more red than the Heitz, above midway in depth / richness. Bouquet is a little different on this bigger wine, a very faint aromatic lift hinting at mint, totally harmonious, analogous to garrigue character, nothing negative. There is rich berry and fragrant oak, probably including American at that time. Flavour is rich and ripe browning berry and dark plum, but tending dry on the still noticeable oak, the whole wine bold and more ‘brave New World’ in style. It is both richer and riper than the Heitz, but both have noticeable oak. Two tasters rated the Stanley Leasingham their top wine, one their second-favourite. Country of origin was clearly New World, six votes each for California versus Australia. This big rich wine is now finally fragrant and harmonious – just a bit oaky in the Bordeaux-themed tasting. Still has some years in it, in a cool cellar, notwithstanding the (again) bizarrely short-sighted views of some Australian wine-writers. GK 03/25
Ruby and garnet, a little more red than the Heitz, above midway in depth / richness. Bouquet is a little different on this bigger wine, a very faint aromatic lift hinting at mint, totally harmonious, analogous to garrigue character, nothing negative. There is rich berry and fragrant oak, probably including American at that time. Flavour is rich and ripe browning berry and dark plum, but tending dry on the still noticeable oak, the whole wine bold and more ‘brave New World’ in style. It is both richer and riper than the Heitz, but both have noticeable oak. Two tasters rated the Stanley Leasingham their top wine, one their second-favourite. Country of origin was clearly New World, six votes each for California versus Australia. This big rich wine is now finally fragrant and harmonious – just a bit oaky in the Bordeaux-themed tasting. Still has some years in it, in a cool cellar, notwithstanding the (again) bizarrely short-sighted views of some Australian wine-writers. GK 03/25
Napa Valley, California, USA: 13.5%; $807 [ cork 44mm, ullage 18mm, original cost $US7.50; current Wine-Searcher valuation $US464 = $NZ807; cepage thought to be CS 100%; NB: this is the generic Napa Valley wine, not an Individual Vineyard one, but it is still highly regarded. The red wines of the famed Heitz vineyard are so dominated by reports of the famed Martha’s Vineyard bottling, and now other individual vineyard wines, that information on the standard Napa Valley Cabernet blend is hard to come by ... at least at this distance. And for a wine from the 1970s, near-impossible. Nonetheless the Wine-Searcher valuation of $US464 suggests that our 1977 is still considered in good order in its home country. The wine is a blend of several vineyards in the Napa Valley, was raised (then) for 12 months in large oak or redwood vats, and then for 18 to 24 months in small oak (Asimov); oak is now all French, but whether it was then is unclear; the new Robert Parker website now has the bizarre policy of deleting older reviews, exactly when people who actually love wine would want access to them; Wine Spectator apparently mentioned the wine in 1990, a score of 83, which the current valuation makes of little relevance; the only useful information found in the time available is by Robinson, for 1977 Bella Oaks Cabernet Sauvignon (then also a constituent of our Napa Valley blend): JR@JR, 2009: A wonderful testament to California Cabernet … The most gorgeously sweet, fully evolved yet really quite delicate nose – almost burgundian. Minty, fresh with wonderful balance and subtlety, although the acidity started to show through after 30 minutes or so in the glass. Marvellous. Less than 13% alcohol if I remember correctly, 19; weight bottle and closure 471 g; https://heitzcellar.com ]
Glowing garnet and ruby, below midway in depth. At the tasting this wine was slightly TCA-impaired, making it seem less ripe. Only six tasters were clear about this impairment. The next day, after standing overnight with 2 x100 mm² pieces of ’Gladwrap©’, the wine was transformed, being now fragrant, the faintest mint lift like the Stanley Leasingham, browning berry hinting more at blackcurrants than cassis, yet at the same time surprisingly fresh, more new oak than the French wines. Berry ripeness seems fractionally less than the top bordeaux, more like the Leoville Barton, less ripe than the Prieuré-Lichine. Like the Stanley, it shows a New World enthusiasm for new oak … understandable in the context of the 1970s. Total acid is a little higher than the Stanley (see the Asimov notes, earlier). The appropriateness of style of the wine to Bordeaux is shown by nine tasters thinking it in fact bordeaux, but more undecided, whereas for the Stanley, more than half were clear that the wine was New World. Fully mature, but no hurry (in a cool cellar). GK 03/25
Glowing garnet and ruby, below midway in depth. At the tasting this wine was slightly TCA-impaired, making it seem less ripe. Only six tasters were clear about this impairment. The next day, after standing overnight with 2 x100 mm² pieces of ’Gladwrap©’, the wine was transformed, being now fragrant, the faintest mint lift like the Stanley Leasingham, browning berry hinting more at blackcurrants than cassis, yet at the same time surprisingly fresh, more new oak than the French wines. Berry ripeness seems fractionally less than the top bordeaux, more like the Leoville Barton, less ripe than the Prieuré-Lichine. Like the Stanley, it shows a New World enthusiasm for new oak … understandable in the context of the 1970s. Total acid is a little higher than the Stanley (see the Asimov notes, earlier). The appropriateness of style of the wine to Bordeaux is shown by nine tasters thinking it in fact bordeaux, but more undecided, whereas for the Stanley, more than half were clear that the wine was New World. Fully mature, but no hurry (in a cool cellar). GK 03/25
Second-Growth Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France: – %; $241 [ cork 49mm, ullage 26mm, original cost $18.10; cepage around CS 70%, Me 20, CF 8, PV 2; for many decades, Leoville Barton has been an admirably consistent introduction to the delights of quality classed-growth claret, without being unduly expensive; Robinson, nil; Tom Cannavan, 2002: Lovely. Old, cedary, savoury, typical claret nose with old-oak sweetness and plenty of tobacco-tinged fruit. There is still a sweetness of fruit on the palate, with little rose-hip or parma-violet nuances, and complex, earth and mineral notes. Some coffee and smoke emerge too, and there is lovely balance with softening tannins and moderate acidity. Long, poised and just a treat, 91; Parker, 1996: For a 1975 Medoc, this wine has received surprisingly consistent notes. While it has always revealed some of the severity and austerity of the vintage, it has consistently possessed more depth, sweetness of fruit, and a more expansive texture. There is a firm, tannic framework, but the wine is admirably concentrated, with a classic, herb, cassis, cedar, tobacco, and spicy-scented nose, full body, an impressive palate, a youthful personality, and a long finish. There are no signs of color or fruit degradation. With 1-2 hours of decanting, this wine can be drunk now; it promises to age for another 15+ years, 90; weight bottle and closure 574 g; www.leoville-barton.com ]
Colour is garnet and ruby, a little older again than the Tahbilk, right in the middle for depth. Bouquet is a little more assertive than the top three, not quite the fragrant ripeness though still berry dominant, and a little more oaky than them. On bouquet you wonder if it is fractionally less ripe: more browning blackcurrants than browning cassis. Flavours are a little stronger too, still quite good fruit, but the acid and oak slightly more noticeable, all admirably in style for cool-year claret, but not quite the harmony of the top three. It is richer than the Prieuré-Lichine, but less stylish, a little more acid. Hard to score, therefore. Nett flavour is still very true to claret. Tasters enjoyed this Leoville less than I did, no first or second rankings. More thought it Bordeaux than Australia, though. Fully mature … maybe the fruit already shortening a little. GK 03/25
Colour is garnet and ruby, a little older again than the Tahbilk, right in the middle for depth. Bouquet is a little more assertive than the top three, not quite the fragrant ripeness though still berry dominant, and a little more oaky than them. On bouquet you wonder if it is fractionally less ripe: more browning blackcurrants than browning cassis. Flavours are a little stronger too, still quite good fruit, but the acid and oak slightly more noticeable, all admirably in style for cool-year claret, but not quite the harmony of the top three. It is richer than the Prieuré-Lichine, but less stylish, a little more acid. Hard to score, therefore. Nett flavour is still very true to claret. Tasters enjoyed this Leoville less than I did, no first or second rankings. More thought it Bordeaux than Australia, though. Fully mature … maybe the fruit already shortening a little. GK 03/25
Grand Cru Classé (unofficial First Growth), Graves then, now Pessac-Léognan, Bordeaux, France: – %; $2,072 [ cork 55mm, ullage 21mm, original price c.$70; the Wine-Searcher valuation is for 750ml; cepage around CS 50%, Me 40, CF 10; 24 – 26 months in barrel, not then all new; Robert Parker in his first ground-breaking book on Bordeaux (1991) considered that La Mission Haut-Brion: produces one of the greatest wines in the entire Bordeaux region … [the] style of the wine has always been that of intense richness, full body, great color and extract, and plenty of tannin. At that point (1990) he wrote of our wine: The 1975 continues to demonstrate that it is one of the most extraordinary wines made at La Mission-Haut-Brion in the post-World War II era. It has a fabulous perfume of cassis fruit, minerals, licorice, truffles, and spicy oak. Unbelievably concentrated, full-bodied, and powerful with no sign of age in the very dark ruby color, this massive La Mission remains extremely tannic and far from maturity. The finish must be experienced to be believed, as it must last 90 seconds or more. This is one of the most concentrated and highly extracted La Missions made in the last 20 years, and I cannot see it ever being ready to drink before the year 2000. It is a monumental effort and certainly the wine of the vintage. In terms of aging potential, it may be the wine of the decade. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2050, 100 In the ensuing years, several reports suggested that the wine was too tanniny for that praise … as for example in the 2008 Robinson review already quoted. By 2012, in one of his last reviews, Parker did note that: its one-time perfection has faded ever so slightly, 97; the most recent review available from the well-regarded William Kelley (on the Parker website) in 2022 considers: The 1975 La Mission Haut-Brion is a timeless wine. Still a saturated ruby-black in hue, it unfurls in the glass with a rich bouquet of dark fruits, cigar ash, camphor, loamy soil, truffles and smoke. Full-bodied and muscular, it's an immensely concentrated, highly extracted wine with a deep core of fruit underpinned by an imposing chassis of rich, chewy tannin that still asserts itself on the finish. The 1975 La Mission is one of the most powerful wines produced during the Woltner era at this château, to 2045, 97. The diversity of views suggests there may be some bottle variation occurring, but rather more, the scoring illuminates the taster's tolerance of tannin. Throughout her career, Robinson has been consistent in marking down tanniny wines. Our magnum should be of great interest, therefore; weight magnum and closure 1150 g; https://www.mission-haut-brion.com/en ]
Garnet and ruby, the deepest and darkest wine in the set. Bouquet is very deep, very ripe, very pure, but with no remnant florals or berry / fruit fragrance, instead tending leathery. The kind of fruit ripeness is more very dark and very traditional English steamed Christmas pudding, framed in cedary oak. The wine does not smell like classic classed-growth claret at all – no freshness, no fragrance, no excitement or hints of bordeaux typicité. The 55 mm cork was in beautiful condition, the ullage only 21 mm after all these years, the bottle cellared in the one cool relatively humid place for the 46 – 7 years. Palate still has remarkable fruit richness, the ‘biggest’ wine in the set, but it is again very dark prune, date, and dark fruit-cake flavours, no hint of berry, no zing or excitement, and a lot of new oak. It is the only bordeaux to show alcohol ‘legs’ in the glass. It must have been enormously ripe to over-ripe at the time of picking, and then the wine was over-oaked. Unlike the better New World wines, where for the Tahbilk a majority thought the wine from Bordeaux, tasters were clear (at the blind tasting stage) that this wine must be from California (11) or Australia (2). No first places, two second-favourite ratings. Thus, given its massive New World over-ripeness and styling, the evaluations of the time, and many since, are a mystery. Many subsequent reviews appear to review the early reviews, not the actual wine. Given the quality of the cork in this magnum, and assuming 750s are similarly provided, this wine will endure for some years, in its style, but the oak becoming more assertive. The bottles (at a time when bordeaux was hard to buy in New Zealand) were secured by John Comerford. GK 03/25
Garnet and ruby, the deepest and darkest wine in the set. Bouquet is very deep, very ripe, very pure, but with no remnant florals or berry / fruit fragrance, instead tending leathery. The kind of fruit ripeness is more very dark and very traditional English steamed Christmas pudding, framed in cedary oak. The wine does not smell like classic classed-growth claret at all – no freshness, no fragrance, no excitement or hints of bordeaux typicité. The 55 mm cork was in beautiful condition, the ullage only 21 mm after all these years, the bottle cellared in the one cool relatively humid place for the 46 – 7 years. Palate still has remarkable fruit richness, the ‘biggest’ wine in the set, but it is again very dark prune, date, and dark fruit-cake flavours, no hint of berry, no zing or excitement, and a lot of new oak. It is the only bordeaux to show alcohol ‘legs’ in the glass. It must have been enormously ripe to over-ripe at the time of picking, and then the wine was over-oaked. Unlike the better New World wines, where for the Tahbilk a majority thought the wine from Bordeaux, tasters were clear (at the blind tasting stage) that this wine must be from California (11) or Australia (2). No first places, two second-favourite ratings. Thus, given its massive New World over-ripeness and styling, the evaluations of the time, and many since, are a mystery. Many subsequent reviews appear to review the early reviews, not the actual wine. Given the quality of the cork in this magnum, and assuming 750s are similarly provided, this wine will endure for some years, in its style, but the oak becoming more assertive. The bottles (at a time when bordeaux was hard to buy in New Zealand) were secured by John Comerford. GK 03/25
Fourth Growth, Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France: – %; $212 [ cork 54mm, ullage 30mm, original cost $23.35; cepage around CS 70%, Me 20, CF 5, PV 5; 18 – 24 months in barrel, % new then not clear. As always, a wine living in the shadow of its then sister-wine, Ch Gruaud-Larose; reviews sparse: RP@RP, 1996: This was a better showing than normal for this medium-bodied, hard, lean, austere Talbot. The wine revealed more fruit than in the past, an earthy, herbal, chocolatey, weedy-scented nose, good extraction, and the vintage's harshness and toughness in the finish. Although it will keep for another 10-15+ years, there is no reason to hold on to it that long, 84; weight bottle and closure 554 g; www.chateau-talbot.com ]
Garnet and ruby, below midway in depth. This was one of the more fragrant wines among the reds, but not quite for the best reasons. This is browning blackcurrant totally, not cassis, with a hint of stemmy character reinforced by the cedary oak. Palate continues the ‘cool’ interpretation, surprisingly fresh but again stalky berry qualities, not quite the fruit richness to balance the oak. It is very reminiscent of the best one or two New Zealand Cabernet / Merlots of the 1990s, even quality New Zealand winemakers at the time being slow to realise that to ripen cabernet sauvignon properly required yields markedly less than typical New Zealand cropping rates of those days. Acid and tannin are both a little noticeable, but the total wine given its marginal richness is still in a classic cool-year claret mould. One person rated the Talbot their second favourite red, but noticeably, four people rated it their least red wine in the set. GK 03/25
Garnet and ruby, below midway in depth. This was one of the more fragrant wines among the reds, but not quite for the best reasons. This is browning blackcurrant totally, not cassis, with a hint of stemmy character reinforced by the cedary oak. Palate continues the ‘cool’ interpretation, surprisingly fresh but again stalky berry qualities, not quite the fruit richness to balance the oak. It is very reminiscent of the best one or two New Zealand Cabernet / Merlots of the 1990s, even quality New Zealand winemakers at the time being slow to realise that to ripen cabernet sauvignon properly required yields markedly less than typical New Zealand cropping rates of those days. Acid and tannin are both a little noticeable, but the total wine given its marginal richness is still in a classic cool-year claret mould. One person rated the Talbot their second favourite red, but noticeably, four people rated it their least red wine in the set. GK 03/25
Napa Valley, California, USA: 12%; $ – [ cork 44mm, ullage 21mm; original cost $US5; no Wine-Searcher value for the commercial label; cepage CS dominant; As for the Heitz, there were also individual vineyard bottlings. Notwithstanding 1974 being a highly regarded year in the Napa Valley, there is no information available for this wine. Such comment as there is for Krug wines of the 1970s, is dismissive. The winery was at a low ebb. If the wine is not up to a reasonable standard, the 1974 Sonoma will be substituted. Krug was bought by the wider Mondavi family in 1943, but shares no expertise with them; weight bottle and closure 460 g; https://www.charleskrug.com ]
Garnet and ruby, the palest in hue and the lightest in depth, but still a glowing and appropriate old claret colour. This, like the Tahbilk, was the other surprise wine of the tasting. Californian wine writers are unanimous in dismissing or patronising the Charles Krug commercial wines of the 70s. Again, it seems many review reviews, rather than the wines themselves. On this occasion, this relatively light but pleasingly fragrant wine was clearly not out of place in an old claret tasting. Freshly poured it is clearly berry-dominant in a browning red fruits style, like the Tahbilk not as clearly cassis / blackcurrant led, but still well in style. It was let down a little on bouquet by having little or no new oak. In mouth, there is still fair berry richness (for a lighter wine), better ripeness and acid balance than the Talbot, but the whole let down by a tending plain taste to the older cooperage. No brett, though. Anybody who could not still enjoy this old bottle with a pizza is very hard to please. Or a wine snob. At the still-blind questionnaire stage, four people thought the wine Australian, eight thought it Californian, and four people thought it from Bordeaux. Two people rated it their top wine of the evening, and six their least. More than interesting ! Bottle courtesy Denis Irwin, 1978. GK 03/25
Garnet and ruby, the palest in hue and the lightest in depth, but still a glowing and appropriate old claret colour. This, like the Tahbilk, was the other surprise wine of the tasting. Californian wine writers are unanimous in dismissing or patronising the Charles Krug commercial wines of the 70s. Again, it seems many review reviews, rather than the wines themselves. On this occasion, this relatively light but pleasingly fragrant wine was clearly not out of place in an old claret tasting. Freshly poured it is clearly berry-dominant in a browning red fruits style, like the Tahbilk not as clearly cassis / blackcurrant led, but still well in style. It was let down a little on bouquet by having little or no new oak. In mouth, there is still fair berry richness (for a lighter wine), better ripeness and acid balance than the Talbot, but the whole let down by a tending plain taste to the older cooperage. No brett, though. Anybody who could not still enjoy this old bottle with a pizza is very hard to please. Or a wine snob. At the still-blind questionnaire stage, four people thought the wine Australian, eight thought it Californian, and four people thought it from Bordeaux. Two people rated it their top wine of the evening, and six their least. More than interesting ! Bottle courtesy Denis Irwin, 1978. GK 03/25
Barsac Premier Cru, Bordeaux:, France: – %; $216 [ cork 54mm, ullage 22mm; original cost $21; cepage around Se 75%, SB 23, Mu 2; The wine is barrel-fermented, percentage new oak not clear, and aged in small oak for 16 – 18 months, production averages round 3,500 cases per annum. Reviews scarce. NM@NM, 2011: … a sprightly citrus-driven nose with hints of mango and quince developing with time in glass. The palate is bestowed with a touch of spice and dried pineapple on the entry, fanning out beautifully with a crisp, dried apricot and marmalade tinged finish. Coutet is defined by its vivacity and acidity and this is a perfect example of it. Very fine, 93; RP@RP, 1986: Every bit as good as the more open-knit and expressive 1976, the 1975 is lighter and more typically Coutet in its proportions, with a graceful, fresh taste, very good concentration, and years of evolution ahead. Anticipated maturity: Now-2002, 86; weight bottle and closure 567 g; www.chateaucoutet.com ]
Glowing gold, a wash of old gold, perfect for its age. Bouquet is classic Ch Coutet, a wonderful aromatic and complex zingy top-note hinting at wild-ginger blossom, on rich golden queen and bottled quince fruit, all complexed by honeyed and beeswax botrytis richness and softness, and framed in fine oak. Flavour follows superbly, succulent fruit richness greater than many classed sauternes, hints of honeycomb, with more new oak than expected for the era. The oak extends the palate and dries the finish, so with the acid of the year, the wine despite its maturing flavours finishes long and fresh, inviting another sip. Again, like the old champagne, tasters simply loved the wine. Fully mature and complex now, but the quality 54mm corks mean the wine will hold in cellar for some years to come. GK 03/25
Glowing gold, a wash of old gold, perfect for its age. Bouquet is classic Ch Coutet, a wonderful aromatic and complex zingy top-note hinting at wild-ginger blossom, on rich golden queen and bottled quince fruit, all complexed by honeyed and beeswax botrytis richness and softness, and framed in fine oak. Flavour follows superbly, succulent fruit richness greater than many classed sauternes, hints of honeycomb, with more new oak than expected for the era. The oak extends the palate and dries the finish, so with the acid of the year, the wine despite its maturing flavours finishes long and fresh, inviting another sip. Again, like the old champagne, tasters simply loved the wine. Fully mature and complex now, but the quality 54mm corks mean the wine will hold in cellar for some years to come. GK 03/25
RESERVE WINES: (plus others, if needed)
# 1975 Ch Haut-Batailley
Fifth Growth, Pauillac: – %; original cost – ; Wine-Searcher valuation $158; CS 65%, Me 25, CF 10, 18 – 20 months in barrel, % new then not clear. Owned within the wider Borie family of Ducru-Beaucaillou and Grande-Puy-Lacoste, but in the 70s not in the same league. RP@RP, 1998: The astringency of the 1975 vintage has given this wine atypical backbone and firmness, especially for a Haut-Batailley. A dark ruby color with just a trace of amber is followed by a wine that has a ripe, plummy, open-knit bouquet dominated by the smell of cedar and herbs. Medium bodied, with moderate tannins, adequate depth and texture, this is a dull 1975. Anticipated maturity: Now, 81, https://hautbatailley.com/en
# 1974 Sonoma Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon
Sonoma Valley, California: 12%; original cost $4.70; no Wine-Searcher valuation; CS probably 100%, matured in French barriques, some new; now Rodney Strong Vineyard. Name change in 1980. Standard wine, not the Alexander's Crown bottling. Wine Spectator, 1994: The 1974s were instrumental in lifting California wine to international fame two decades ago. The stage was set at the famous Paris tasting of 1976, where a Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet and a Chateau Montelena Chardonnay won in a highly publicized blind tasting against a group of esteemed French first-growth Bordeaux and premier cru white Burgundies. For the young California wine industry, it was a tasting heard round the world. No reviews found. https://www.rodneystrong.com
# 1974 Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon
Coonawarra, South Australia: – %; original cost $5.64; Wine-Searcher valuation $US181 = $NZ316; CS nominally 100%, matured then largely in American oak hogsheads (320-litres), probably a percentage new by 1974. This was the top label at the time, the John Riddoch label not being introduced till 1982. Chris Shanahan thought it fading in 2017, no scores. Raymond Chan dug deeper in 2012, finding the wine full-bodied but on the stalky side, lacking fruit sweetness, 16.5. 1974 was a cool summer in both Australia and New Zealand. www.wynns.com.au
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