Wine Spectator's senior editors blind tasted a series of old California reds this week, and the tasting, about which James Suckling has also written, demonstrated how well most of these wines aged.
Our editors agreed on a few stars. The 1974 Heitz Martha’s Vineyard, Mayacamas 1974 and 1978, and for me the 1966 Beaulieu Vineyard Private Reserve and 1968 Souverain, were all still drinking well. But when it came to other wines, and when it came to scores, we had about as much consensus as we did predicting the Sunday’s Super Bowl winner, which by the way will be the Giants, 27-24, in a huge upset.
With wines, one reason people diverge in their opinions is that we have different perspectives. I’ve tasted most of these many times and have many different points of reference. For some of our editors, with a wine such as the ’68 Souverain, it’s perhaps a once in a lifetime experience.
This cache of wines offered plenty of insights. A few of the wines, such as the Ridge Fiddletown from Amador County, at 14.5 percent alcohol, reminded us that higher alcohol levels are nothing new. The Jordan 1978, the winery’s first estate-grown Alexander Valley Cabernet, showed that elegantly balanced wines age well.
A few of the oldies were goners, victims of age, storage, or mushy or crumbly corks, including the otherwise legendary 1974 Hanzell Pinot Noir, the Louis M. Martini California Mountain Cabernet (from its Monte Rosso Vineyard in Sonoma Valley) and the 1966 Inglenook F-29 from Napa Valley. (The latter two wines never saw the inside of a small oak barrel.)
But other bottles proved that the wines were extremely well made and balanced. When a wine ages well for 30 or 40 years, that’s irrefutable proof of its balance.
One obvious thread: the role of André Tchelistcheff. Tchelistcheff joined BV in the late 1930s and shaped the thinking at most of the California producers whose wines we tried—Martini, Krug (under Robert and Peter Mondavi), Inglenook, Heitz (Joe worked with André at BV), Jordan, Souverain (under Lee Stewart) and Mayacamas, even though Bob Travers has stuck to his guns with his gutsy mountain-grown Cabernets.
For me, nostalgia for old wines has its limits. I like the taste down memory lane, and reconstructing what happened. I noted the dillish scent of American oak in the BV and guessed the winery and decade, as did Harvey Steiman. And I guessed the ’68 Souverain, while wavering as to whether it might be a Mayacamas.
But when it comes to drinking wines with tonight’s dinner, I’ll always opt for something younger.
Troy Peterson
Burbank, CA — January 31, 2008 4:10pm ETJames Laube
Napa, CA — January 31, 2008 6:14pm ETBryan Bucari
Baton Rouge, LA — January 31, 2008 7:28pm ETMichael Oleary
Boston MA — January 31, 2008 7:41pm ETMike Karson
January 31, 2008 9:58pm ETJames Laube
Napa, CA — February 1, 2008 6:36am ETJames Laube
Napa, CA — February 1, 2008 6:43am ETJason T Pett
Baltimore, — February 1, 2008 11:15am ETJim Gallagher
Jim Gallagher — February 1, 2008 3:52pm ETAlex Bernardo
Millbrae, CA — February 2, 2008 3:18pm ETJeff Perry
San Francisco — February 2, 2008 3:38pm ETKen Koonce
Dallas, Texas — February 3, 2008 6:09pm ETClaudio Boyks
chicago, IL — February 4, 2008 2:00pm ETDr Gregory M Beals
Omaha — February 4, 2008 4:29pm ETJames Laube
Napa, CA — February 4, 2008 4:44pm ETJason Thompson
Foster City, CA — February 4, 2008 10:09pm ETPS, to all that have remarked on the Cinq Cepages blend. I have found similar issues with these wines. They just don't age. Had the 1996 and 1997, along with the 1999 about a year ago. The 99 was fabulous. 95+pts. The others two were just good to average...the 97 being about a 92-93pts and the 96 being a total disappointment for a #1 WOTY. Just get in the habit of drinking them early. They should get their winemaker back as well...haven't enjoyed this wine's latest vintages.
Powell Yang
Napa, — February 5, 2008 6:23pm ETJames Laube
Napa, CA — February 5, 2008 6:27pm ETTed A Hunt
Fort Lauderdale, Fl — February 6, 2008 10:55am ETVince Liotta
Elmhurst Illinois — February 8, 2008 9:24pm ETJames Laube
Napa, CA — February 9, 2008 1:32pm ETTed A Hunt
Fort Lauderdale, Fl — February 11, 2008 2:48pm ETThomas D Nichols
Houston, TX — March 7, 2008 8:23pm ETJames Laube
Napa, CA — March 7, 2008 8:49pm ETJoseph W. Balesteri
Chicago/USA — March 13, 2008 10:07pm ETThomas D Nichols
Houston, TX — November 24, 2008 5:00pm ETJames Laube
Napa, CA — November 24, 2008 5:04pm ETJames Laube
Napa, CA — November 24, 2008 5:07pm ET