A very nicely aged claret, no signs of dying, still a good acidity and smooth tannins. Still a fair amount of fruit too but mainly old pine. Very nice.
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Bottle with top shoulder fill and very good cork (top still dry and clean). Color looks still very healthy without significant browning. On the palate there is however plenty of forest floor and leather notes, some stewed vegetable but no fruit. Tannins entirely gone too. Drinkable but not much fun. Have a second bottle for comparison and will try to find an occasion to drink soon. With the exception of a recent excellent bottle of 78 Montrose, my experience with this Bordeaux vintage has not been the best (incl 78 Cheval Blanc).
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What a pleasant surprise. This wine tasted much younger and fruity than expected, rather like a 20 year old. No hints of aging like leather or earthy notes. Red cherry fruit and some spiciness of black pepper and all-spice. Probably because, dispite very hidden tertiary notes, the tannin was almost completely polished over the 40 years if aging. I wonder if many would be able to distinguish this one from a 20 year old Burgundy Grand Cru, by taste and by color, which was a wonderful brilliant ruby red.
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1978 CHATEAU LEOVILLE-POYFERRE ST. JULIEN- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc; this fine wine shined with mature notes of leather, cedar and dried blackberry; it had great mouthfeel and held on to satisfy throughout; nicely balanced and drinking quite well.
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Sat night dinner at home with JL, VK, PH and Cath (At home): I was pleasantly surprised by this wine. Popped and poured, it was fresh and fruity, with only faint traces of old wine barnyard that one so often finds in mediocre 1970s bordeaux. Dried hay, forest floor notes continued to pop up alongside the blackberry fruit as we drank this down in the course of an hour. I don't know where PH got this bottle, but the label was pristine and the fill was well into the neck. The cork was also in remarkably good shape. I think we were lucky with this obviously pampered bottle.
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Overaskende bra i forhold til forventningen, selv om den er noe over toppen. Solbær og litt vegetal på nesen. Solbær, paprika og murstein på smak. Bra med syre og tanniner. Strammer seg opp etter litt tid i karaffelen. Frukten blir mer mer framtredene og noe av det vegetale forsvinner med lufting. Litt kort. Først 84-85 poeng, 88 med luft. God læring i denne flasken...
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A recent purchase, upon inspection I had noticed one depressed cork (and bottle was a bit lower fill that others, I'd say HS). Sure enough, cork was very very loose, when I started to use AhSo it started to slide in, I instead hooked with end of worm and pulled it out. But the wine was actually intact- a little ashtray with the cigarbox, but still some cassis fruit. Tannins are gone, acid remains, but not harsh. Tobacco, cedar, earth. Definitely not a powerful wine, but for my tastes a perfectly acceptable lighter styled claret (others might not like as much, I see that Parker gave it an 80 and a drinkup 30 years ago). If this is the bottle with iffy cork, I'm happy. I carried along to wine group where it held well for hours. B/B+
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Really bright, clear, mid garnet colour. Fragrant nose, pure red fruits. Initial taste after decanting dominated by lovely sweet fruit. Light, elegant, really lovely. Approached again after 45mins in decanter: fruit still just as good, now gentle cedar and pencil shavings on the nose. Wonderfuly elegant in the mouth, acidity balanced by the light sweet fruit. Slender but lingering legs. Complete mature claret. Preferred this to recent 79 Palmers. Wish I'd bought more than a single bottle, but daren't go back in case it's a disappointment (this batch originally shipped from the chateau to Argentina, then re-exported back to the chateau (didn't find out why) before eventually ending up at a UK merchant where I bought it last month). Memorable.
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My favorite of Dave’s tasting of 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon, California and Bordeaux. Delicate, complex and elegant. Light but sweet. Cinnamon fruit cake. No annoying ‘78 herbaceous notes. A real surprise.
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3/3/2021 - Alex Brogan wrote: 89 Points
A very nicely aged claret, no signs of dying, still a good acidity and smooth tannins. Still a fair amount of fruit too but mainly old pine. Very nice.
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11/5/2019 - DaleW wrote:
a bit volatile on nose, quite tired, though drinkable. B-/C+
(this had a more saturated cork than other bottles of this)
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11/2/2019 - pavel_p Does not like this wine: 86 Points
Bottle with top shoulder fill and very good cork (top still dry and clean). Color looks still very healthy without significant browning. On the palate there is however plenty of forest floor and leather notes, some stewed vegetable but no fruit. Tannins entirely gone too. Drinkable but not much fun. Have a second bottle for comparison and will try to find an occasion to drink soon.
With the exception of a recent excellent bottle of 78 Montrose, my experience with this Bordeaux vintage has not been the best (incl 78 Cheval Blanc).
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12/30/2018 - nhericks Likes this wine: 92 Points
What a pleasant surprise. This wine tasted much younger and fruity than expected, rather like a 20 year old. No hints of aging like leather or earthy notes. Red cherry fruit and some spiciness of black pepper and all-spice. Probably because, dispite very hidden tertiary notes, the tannin was almost completely polished over the 40 years if aging. I wonder if many would be able to distinguish this one from a 20 year old Burgundy Grand Cru, by taste and by color, which was a wonderful brilliant ruby red.
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9/2/2016 - Blake Brown wrote:
1978 CHATEAU LEOVILLE-POYFERRE ST. JULIEN- Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc; this fine wine shined with mature notes of leather, cedar and dried blackberry; it had great mouthfeel and held on to satisfy throughout; nicely balanced and drinking quite well.
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1/24/2015 - ilee Likes this wine: 91 Points
Sat night dinner at home with JL, VK, PH and Cath (At home): I was pleasantly surprised by this wine. Popped and poured, it was fresh and fruity, with only faint traces of old wine barnyard that one so often finds in mediocre 1970s bordeaux. Dried hay, forest floor notes continued to pop up alongside the blackberry fruit as we drank this down in the course of an hour. I don't know where PH got this bottle, but the label was pristine and the fill was well into the neck. The cork was also in remarkably good shape. I think we were lucky with this obviously pampered bottle.
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12/25/2014 - The Vinocrat Likes this wine: 88 Points
Magnum
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12/14/2012 - laralh wrote: 88 Points
Overaskende bra i forhold til forventningen, selv om den er noe over toppen. Solbær og litt vegetal på nesen. Solbær, paprika og murstein på smak. Bra med syre og tanniner. Strammer seg opp etter litt tid i karaffelen. Frukten blir mer mer framtredene og noe av det vegetale forsvinner med lufting. Litt kort. Først 84-85 poeng, 88 med luft. God læring i denne flasken...
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10/25/2012 - DaleW wrote: flawed
corked
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10/23/2012 - salil wrote: flawed
Unfortunately corked.
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7/17/2012 - DaleW wrote:
Fully mature, cedar/cigarbox over smooth black fruit, tannins resolved, pleasant if not overly complex. B
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3/17/2012 - DaleW wrote:
A recent purchase, upon inspection I had noticed one depressed cork (and bottle was a bit lower fill that others, I'd say HS). Sure enough, cork was very very loose, when I started to use AhSo it started to slide in, I instead hooked with end of worm and pulled it out. But the wine was actually intact- a little ashtray with the cigarbox, but still some cassis fruit. Tannins are gone, acid remains, but not harsh. Tobacco, cedar, earth. Definitely not a powerful wine, but for my tastes a perfectly acceptable lighter styled claret (others might not like as much, I see that Parker gave it an 80 and a drinkup 30 years ago). If this is the bottle with iffy cork, I'm happy. I carried along to wine group where it held well for hours. B/B+
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1/14/2009 - superbarre wrote: 78 Points
way over it's peak, previous one was better
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4/8/2006 - SimonG wrote:
Really bright, clear, mid garnet colour. Fragrant nose, pure red fruits. Initial taste after decanting dominated by lovely sweet fruit. Light, elegant, really lovely. Approached again after 45mins in decanter: fruit still just as good, now gentle cedar and pencil shavings on the nose. Wonderfuly elegant in the mouth, acidity balanced by the light sweet fruit. Slender but lingering legs. Complete mature claret. Preferred this to recent 79 Palmers. Wish I'd bought more than a single bottle, but daren't go back in case it's a disappointment (this batch originally shipped from the chateau to Argentina, then re-exported back to the chateau (didn't find out why) before eventually ending up at a UK merchant where I bought it last month). Memorable.
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3/18/2004 - Xavier Auerbach wrote: 86 Points
Christie's Pre-Sale Tasting (Amsterdam): Estery like cherry beer but still alive.
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2/1/1996 - sdr wrote: 90 Points
My favorite of Dave’s tasting of 1978 Cabernet Sauvignon, California and Bordeaux. Delicate, complex and elegant. Light but sweet. Cinnamon fruit cake. No annoying ‘78 herbaceous notes. A real surprise.
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