jason 
Napa Valley
Wine Addict
Posts: 6914
 | | 07-08-2004 08:32 PM |
| I have a birthday coming up and was interested in drinking a birth year wine. Does anyone have any reccommendations of a wine from 1978 that they have tried recently and that is in the $150(the tough part) and under range?
Mahalo | | |
|
|
futronic
Toronto, Canada
Wine Bottler
Posts: 3214
| | 04-22-2004 12:50 PM |
| I'm pretty sure the laws are such that you can BYO into most restaurants. Not positive, however. | | | |
|
ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts: 11169
| | 07-08-2004 08:37 PM |
| Happy birthday. 1978 was a vastly over-rated year in Bordeaux. Most are tired now. It was a great year in Burgundy, but the Grand Crus with life left will far exceed the $140 limit. My unequivocal choice would be a Rhone. One that you may find in that price range (just guessing here) is the Vieux Telegraphe. It's spectacular right now. Parker gave it a 94, and I'd say it's anywhere in the 93-96 range. One side note- though 1978 was one of the two or three greatest Rhone years in the last 50, it was an off-year for Beaucastel. The Jaboulet La Chapelle and Rayas are also wonderful now, but probably over the $150 price limit. | | | |
|
Bob Bressler
Napa Valley
Wine Lover
Posts: 4930
| | 07-08-2004 08:42 PM |
| the '78 Robert Mondavi Reserve is drinking very well right now.
the '78 Diamond Creek RRT is also fabulous, but probably too expensive.
the '78 La Chapelle is well worth breaking the budget for | | | |
|
jason
Napa Valley
Wine Addict
Posts: 6914
| | 07-08-2004 08:47 PM |
| Quote:
the '78 La Chapelle is well worth breaking the budget for
From what I see on winesearcher, the non pro version the cheapest bottle I see in the US is $750. Way too far out of my budget.
Cheapest I see the Vieux is in the $400's.
Was the 1978 Montelena Estate any good, still hanging in there? | | | |
|
JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5223
| | 07-08-2004 08:48 PM |
| Quote:
The Jaboulet La Chapelle and Rayas are also wonderful now, but probably over the $150 price limit.
La Chapelle was my first thought....until I went to Wine Searcher. It starts at $750 and goes up from there. My second thought, knowing that France would offer no bargains, was Diamond Creek (I swear, I didn't peek at Bob's response. I was browsing Wine Searcher when he posted. Honest.) and Montelena. Benchmark Wine Group in Napa claims to have the '78 RRT for $155. Spectator gave it 96 pts. | | | Beta testing a new signature. | |
|
Randy Wigginton
Master of Wine
Posts: 10871
| | 07-08-2004 09:34 PM |
| 1978 Caymus Special Selection is on WineBid at $210. Had one not that long ago and it was excellent. (pretty sure it was the 1978, may have been 1979) At that time Caymus made some unbelievably good wines. not the same today  | | | |
|
jason
Napa Valley
Wine Addict
Posts: 6914
| | 07-08-2004 09:37 PM |
| Is the 1978 Diamond Creek RRT better than the VC and GM? | | | |
|
rickym13
los angeles
Wine Thief
Posts: 2908
| | 07-08-2004 09:41 PM |
| Aloha - Is the dinner you are going tomorrow night for your B-Day? If so....Happy B-Day!! | | | |
|
JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5223
| | 07-08-2004 09:41 PM |
| I would rate them in order of preference:
Lake
Volcanic Hill
Red Rock Terrace
Gravelly Meadow | | | Beta testing a new signature. | |
|
jason
Napa Valley
Wine Addict
Posts: 6914
| | 07-08-2004 09:44 PM |
| Jimmy, thanks because that shop has the 3 I listed available.
Ricky, no tomorrow is just a dinner with friends, I needed an excuse to eat at Alan's. | | | |
|
ojeffso
warren, new jersey
Wine Lover
Posts: 4877
| | 07-08-2004 09:51 PM |
| the 78 la mission haut brion is probably your best bet and can probably be found for a reasonable amount of money. | | | |
|
Stefania Wine
San Jose, CA
Grape Puncher
Posts: 725
| | 07-08-2004 10:08 PM |
| Last year I had a 78 Mouton that was outstanding 93 points, and one that was not 87 points. | | Paul Romero - Owner/Winemaker Stefania Wine
www.stefaniawine.com | |
|
skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts: 5452
| | 07-08-2004 10:10 PM |
| Quote:
the '78 La Chapelle is well worth breaking the budget for
I've not had the La Chapelle but have had the Chave Hermitage which was quite good. I'd recommend it. I picked up a bottle for $375.
Quote:
From what I see on winesearcher, the non pro version the cheapest bottle I see in the US is $750. Way too far out of my budget.
Cheapest I see the Vieux is in the $400's.
Was the 1978 Montelena Estate any good, still hanging in there?
You need to get the pro version of wine-searcher.com, you could save the $25 just on this purchase. The 1978 Montelena is from a fairly legendary vintage for Napa Cab and I've heard it is drinking very fine right now. Make sure you pick up the Estate Cab and not the Sonoma Cab. Montelena made two Cabs in 1978 (and prior to that, though they were not from estate grapes). I think it would make a good birthday drink. I've been looking for one so if you find good bottles at a decent price I'd be interested. | | | |
|
ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts: 11169
| | 07-09-2004 01:57 AM |
| skwid, the 1978 Chave Hermitage was wonderful.
I've had all the DC 1978's except the Lake. I don't think they made a 1978 Lake. The 1984 Lake is one of the best US Cabs I've ever had. I found no statistically significant difference between the other three 1978 DC Cabs.
The 1978 Montelena was a great wine when I had it last about five or ten years ago. I think it was their first estate bottling. | | | |
|
Elizabeth Brown
Grape Fermenter
Posts: 540
| | 07-09-2004 03:17 AM |
| Over the fourth we had a 1978 William Hill Cab and a 78 BV GDL (a bday thingy too) and I would say though they were both drinkable and enjoyable I was not blown away. Personally I would go for the Rhone option given by many and maybe track down a '77 port if that was when you were conceived?? | | | |
|
ChangeMe
Grape Sorter
Posts: 307
| | 07-09-2004 03:25 AM |
| how about a margaux. parker gave it 92 pts back in 1998 and is listed on winesearcher for $195 and up. | | | |
|
Sascha
Grape Sorter
Posts: 235
| | 07-09-2004 03:34 AM |
| Great year indeed! I just celebrated a 1978 birthday and will be looking for a wine of the same year soon. Thanks for the rec's.
Sascha | | | |
|
KillerB
Barrel Racker
Posts: 1533
| | 07-09-2004 06:52 AM |
| I thought we didn't allow children on this site. You were born after Punk???? Go to your room and think about what you've missed.
Happy Birthday. | | | |
|
ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts: 11169
| | 07-09-2004 12:47 PM |
| anthony, I have the 1978 Margaux and have had it a number of times. I saw a review where Parker gave it a 94, but I don't think it's more than an 88 or 89 point wine. Another in the myriad initially acclaimed wines that failed to live up to expectations, even though it was Parker's wine of the vintage.
In March, at an industry tasting at the Pierre Hotel in NYC, I had the opportunity to speak with the winemaker of Chateau Margaux (amongst others), and I told him I found the 1978 and 1979 Margaux to have not lived up to the early praise. Refreshingly, instead of trying to defend the wines, he agreed with me and said that the 1978 and 1979 vintages, while good, were not nearly as good as the prognosticators had claimed.
Failing to get a Rhone, I'd go for a Heitz Martha's, BV GdL, Chateau Montelena, or any of the Diamond Creeks, though most will be above $150. | | | |
|