Cork was totally intact with approximately 2/3 untouched by standard neck fill wine. Color was still deep red - more like a 10 yr old Napa cab. Decanting left a medium amount of sediment, clean nose and big robust well oaked cab fruit flavors.
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A nice dinner with friends: Magnum bought at an auction last December (photo uploaded). Opened 30 minutes before serving. Very beautiful dark crimson color, almost no bricking. The nose didn't give much, but the palate blew me away: stewed plums and many things I wasn't able to identify. The most striking part was the way the wine coated one's mouth at the end. Stunning. It was so good that we started drinking the bottle at the apero and finished it with steaks.
Older vintages from this wine are no so often available on the market in Switzerland but I have an opportunity I will jump on it. I am also considering buying some more recent vintages although I don't know if the wine-making is at the same level now.
Birthday Bonanza (Ai Fiori (Langham Hotel on 5th Ave)): One of the bettter version of this wine that I’ve had. Normally it comes across as much more tired but this was drinking pretty well. Misses the new world fruit but I think that’s always true of the old Georges de Latour.
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delicious and rich as expected. didnt have enough time to properly decant but only changed for the bettter in the decanter during dinner... blackberry and currants.. much more complex than a typical california
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Dark and opaque. Still. Nose of ripe dark fruit with gorgeous, yes gorgeous notes of tobacco, soy sauce (but less reductive than it connotes), some fresh tree bark, smoke and light potpourri. This is amazingly fresh. This is showing some tertiary characteristics but still well embedded in it’s secondary phase. I think it was Neal Martin that describes this wine as suspended in time. Exactly! The palate is dry and tannic. Definitely not well rounded and fleshy as the nose might suggests. 94 points on a technical basis is generous but warranted on an enjoyment scale.
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Part of an online offline with some friends. We made '79 the theme of the night and drank this and a barolo. I wasn't totally sure how well this would hold up as it's not meant to be a great year and so we did more of a pnp. In retrospect prob could have used a bit of a decant. It seemed to get better as the night wore on and it had more air. Nice wine and enjoyable (esp considering the year).
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A bizarre showing - there's some dark fruit here and bright acidity on the palate giving it some lift, but everything's overwhelmed by a very distracting vinyl/plasticky note in the aromatics that dominates the fruit.
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brilliant wine right from the get go, but put on fruit and weight with some time in the decanter and glass. such vibrant fruit. definitely in the tertiary characteristics but not overwhelming and nowhere near tired. yum!
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Decanted and drank. Cork broke when taking it out. Aromas of dried cherry, dried currant, earth and iron. Flavors of dried cherry, dried currant, herb and dried blackberry. Ends with a 25-30 seconds with blackberry notes. Took some time to come around but a really great wine.
Sheldon's 60th Birthday (The Bristol - Chicago IL): Fully mature black fruit with a reasonable balance of black fruit and structure to start, but a bit tart on finish that makes it lose harmony. Several people thought Bordeaux served blind, and I would probably have made that same mistake.
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Dinner at Home, Mill Valley, CA. Early celebration of wife’s birthday. Opened and slow oxed for one hour prior to decanting. From 750ml
An impressive and beautifully aged Napa cabernet. Far from tired or an academically “interesting” look at old school Napa wines, the Beaulieu was a compete surprise to the upside, indeed pleasure in a glass. Classic full mature Napa cab notes, with minty eucalyptus and dark soil notes particularly on the palate. Aged but not fading (and I’m not just saying this since it was a birth year wine for my wife), and a great pairing with dry aged Belcampo steaks.
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Always a gamble with older bottles, but this one really preformed beyond expectations tonight. Flavors of tobacco, earth, cedar were all present but not at all dominating and in balance with vibrant but still delicate and sweet red fruit. I agree that there is just a hint of sherry. I think the vitality of the fruit is what most set this apart from the 75 I had the other night. Opened and consumed over 5 hours, it held up over the course of the evening.
This bottle was in excellent condition. I hope the others are as good!
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Bouteille très bien conservée, avec une couleur encore foncée et des flaveurs de fruits noirs, de chocolat et de tabac. On est très loin d'un vin mort, même si le fruit est moins marqué en bouche qu'au nez. Assez longue finale tannique. Solide et structuré, un peu rustique dans ses tannins. C'est pas tous les jours qu'on peut boire un vin de son année de naissance: merci Champlain Charest! 93
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At home, went well with Imam Bayildi, first time I've made it. We started drinking BV Private Reserve in the early 1970s, first with the '66 vintage, then with the wonderful '68-'70 trio, then much '74. Over the years the wine had gone downhill in quality and the style had changed, so I stopped buying it. This was the last bottle in my cellar, after at one time having ten cases of Private Reserve. It was purchased on release and slept in my cellar all these years. I didn't know if it would still be good, but it was just perfect, a return to their great wines of old! Now brick red with slight browning edges, translucent, but the nose was unmistakable BV...pronounced sweet cassis with prominent American oak aromas, very complex. Still very viscous, with glycerin coating the glass. The flavors still medium-full, perfectly smooth, round, and balanced, with American oak carrying through and that hint of sherry so typical of B.V. Soft, sweet, elegant aftertaste, long-lasting. I doubt I'll have another of these old friends, so perfectly stored and so perfect...a real treat! Ric
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From magnum. Feminine, floral nose immediately upon opening with no funk. Tasted and then decided to decant as it seemed it would benefit from air. Lots of structure left, moderate acid, long finish. Very old-world style like a St.-Julien. Some gave it wows, including me; others thought it was meh. Fruit-bomb lovers will obviously not like this style but fans of aged BVGDL will not be disappointed.
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Probably the best '79 Latour we've had - and we've had our share of these. The cork was fricking perfect, the bottle fill level was like new, and the color of the wine was a gorgeous shade of blackberry. Complex nose with transient flashes of bacon, pepper, anise, nutmeg, and Christmas. The palate is much more subtle though. Extremely soft tannins with flavors of prune, leather, and candied dark berries. The Beautour we had was much meatier and robust - almost overshadowed this one - we should've started with this first.
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I had this last night outside around a fire. I chose this because the other drinker likes musty old cabs. But was I surprised. It was lively and very youthful for a 35 year old. There was plenty of dark and some emerging red fruit. Much less cigarbox. forest floor, leather than I would have expected. And it improved in the glass. I am always worried about the disappearing nose in older wines, but this lasted...remarkably well. Well stored wines are worth their weight in gold!
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Popped and poured. Cork almost fell apart but managed to get it out with an Ah So. Wine was on its last legs but it was still drinking well. Musty old wine characteristics to start, but these faded leaving a nice cherry flavor, some earthiness. Enjoyed this wine. Maybe most interesting was the bottle which was clearly made to inform the American consumer on wine including a description of Cabernet Sauvignon the grape.
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A near perfect example of very well-cared-for 35 y/o BV Georges de Latour. This wine was built to last and has. As-new fill level with some minor soaking of the cork. Wine poured a deep ruby, with no browning at the edges. A nose of port at the open that gave way to black fruit and olives after 30' decant, but all "Rutherford Dust" and prototypical high-end Napa cab from way back on the palate.
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A millimeter of cork left kept this bottle in fabulous condition! 35 years of well aged beauty. Stunning indeed. Delicious soft and silky. You can't help but think that maybe waiting three and one-half decades is all worth it.
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Base neck fill from 750 ml bottle. Lightly bricking ruby color. Mushroom, forest floor, beef jus with berries on the nose. Very youthful still, lots of dark fruit like plums with a nice tobacco note. Medium plus finish. What a great bottle of aged cabernet.
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Opened two bottles. Both corks had very little wine penetration and were dry which immediately worried me. Both bottles were badly oxidized. Undrinkable.
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Redwood on the nose says it well. Complex nose. Color is dark ruby/garnet with hardly any bricking on the rim. Remarkably youthful but a little to "piquant" to be great. Just a bit hollow on the mid palate.
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From an extremely well stored lot of six bottles. One of the most youthful 79 BV GDLTPR from the 70s I've had in many years. This vintage is much fruitier than I remembered. It begins with a powerful redwood nose that dissipates after a half hour, leaving min, chocolate, dust and a hint of rubber. None of the oxidized or maderized character that some old BV develops (including other 79s I've had).
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Decided to pop this open at my going away party back in June. There were a ton of wine friends there, so this seemed like a great time. Nice and brown around the edges, still a little brick red in the middle. Did a pop and pour, watching it evolve through the night. Elegant, mature, leather and spice with a hint of red fruit. Lots of dried flowers in the nose. It wasn't huge, but shouldn't be at this age. In great condition, still drinking well, but I wouldn't hold on any longer if you still have one of these babies around. I'm sure that being a magnum has helped it age a little more gracefully.
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Drank this with Ken V in Albany. Very smooth, and ever so slight tannins. Easy drinking, but in my opinion, nothing special. The 01 Saxum James Berry Bone Rock and 08 Lewelling Cab Sauv - Wight were far superior.
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(from Northern Thailand) Had this few nights ago with some friends [they now owe me big time]. Have stored this carefully for past decades and it paid off. Cork was flawless, decanted and sat for nearly an hour to open up. Berries, leather, flowers and cedar. Was NOT past it's peak but I believe that was because mine was a magnum and aged more slowly than 750ml. Perhaps this is why others have commented that the '79 [750ml]was past its prime.
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Unfortunately way past it, with a maderized nose, hollow palate and short, bitter finish. It did show some faint class from previous glory days, and was in no way undrinkable. We actually finish half the bottle, as a tribute to a potentially glorious past...
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Never had this wine before and what a delight! Still very dark garnet in colour with only the slightly of bricking. On opening, it had a very elegant nose, slight reserved, leather, but still fruit strength. On taste, it was a bit discombolulated, perhaps rather tart but that changed after about 1 hour in the bottle when it all came together and became a very balanced drink. Lovely persistent and long
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Smoke and forest floor, yes; however this bottle still showed ample red fruits and was very well integrated. Moderate sediment -- took a short while to open up. Shows plenty of life. Very nice.
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1979 BV Reserve with its smoke, tobacco, forest floor aromas would need to be hooked up to a defibrillator if owners hope to coax any life back into this wine. With a finish similar to a sweet tart, with any of the sweetness, this dud should be avoided. 7
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An absolute gem as I clear out some of my older bottles. This was a Christmas present in 1986. Color was red, no hint of brown even at the edges. Looked for all the world like a 2009, not a 1979. Poured directly, no decanting. Wonderful from beginning to end, over an hour in the glass, although lots of sediment got in the way of the last pour. Strong fig on the palate initially, changing to red fruit. Not at all tannic. Absolutely ready to drink, and proof of why it's a good idea to resist the temptation to drink the good stuff young.
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Aromatically - tobacco, geranium, along with other floral aromas and heavy toast smoke. A faint antique aroma. A very crisp wine with a good amount of acid. aging better than many of the 79's. Not shabby
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Brownish - orange color, nose that smelled like a closet where a dozen people just spent the last 30 minutes smoking cigars, with some leather. The nose constantly changed the proportion of that mix along with some cedar that would show itself, and I liked it, though I did get a bit of what seemed like 'cooked' nose that popped up here and there. The palate actually had some surprisingly good fruit on the front and mid, though the finish was very dry. Clearly on its way down, but I ended up liking it a lot better than my first sip had indicated.
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Not as past as you would think with a decent amber color with hues of bronze on the edge, still clear and alive. The nose is total cedar, cigar box, brown sugar, tobacco hints of red fruits and anise. Finish is dried rose pedals and cigar (yeah like I just smocked one). Nice treat!
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sweet red and black fruits, vanilla, herbs, and earth is pleasing. In the mouth, there is outstanding richness, full body, crisp, underlying acidity, and moderate tannin in the finish.
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Beyond expectations - I bot this mag at BV in '81 (I was what...13?) and somehow this remained sound. High ullage, no leakage; still, I expected vinegar or oxidation... The nose..OMG this nose is so deep, seductive and entrancing. No grip. No veggie notes. Big classic secondary character. Simply happy to finally open this. My first collector wine purchase, ever. And a testament as to why my Ca Cabs sleep in the cellar. Began to fall off ~hr 2. Points awarded for what it is to me and not against any trophy wines. A pleasure.
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From 750. Nose of fresh blackberries and light bacon fat. Has a nice tawny port color at it's core with a slight browning at the rim. Taste runs along with the nose with some cassis. Didn't get a lot of veggies like others have. Not complex, but for a birthyear wine, I enjoyed it. Points are based on evaluation, I'd probably add 3-5 pts. based on experience.
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Flock Tasting of 1970s Cal Cabs (Chicago, IL): Bronze ruby and faded at the rim. Vegetal nose with pungent spices. Palate dominated by green vegetal notes that overwhelm nice underlying cassis fruit. Something is off here. Interesting that the first bottle showed much better. My #9, Group #9.
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Flock Tasting of 1970s Cal Cabs (Chicago, IL): Dark bronzing ruby at the core with fading at the rim. Light nose of green herbs and red fruits. Palate shows much more than the nose --- cassis, licorice and green herbs. Tannins are resolved into the fruit, which is bright and lifted. Nice herb-driven finish. Kept improving with 1+ hours in the glass. My #6, Group #7.
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Showed well with a 1979 Sterling Reserve Cab. Still red, slight bit of brown. Smooooooth. Tannins receded. Time to drink it, but withstood test of time very well.
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Tasting of 13 BV Georges de Latour, nice dull red color in the glass, nose of spice, burnt orange, tasted much newer on the palate, slight tannic finish. #6/13.
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8 Georges de La Tour tasted at Mike's house, storage quality much higher than the Primas Tasting 8 days earlier. Was a very rich fruity nose, almost new cabernet nose with hints of burnt orange pel, nice fresh cabernet fruit taste that was big, rich, fruity, intense and tannic wine, finish showed good acid and tannin that needs 5 years of age to peak. My #8
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9 Vintages of BV Reserve tasted. Was closed on the nose with subtle hints of candy and wood, viscous, medium body, too much tannins and acid, but showed a big, long cabernet finish. My #8 and Group #7.
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4/19/2024 - Herb K wrote:
Unbelievable. Fruit still there. Smooth tannins. Raisins.
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5/22/2023 - MJM4032 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Cork was totally intact with approximately 2/3 untouched by standard neck fill wine. Color was still deep red - more like a 10 yr old Napa cab. Decanting left a medium amount of sediment, clean nose and big robust well oaked cab fruit flavors.
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5/14/2023 - boillatm Likes this wine: 97 Points
A nice dinner with friends: Magnum bought at an auction last December (photo uploaded). Opened 30 minutes before serving.
Very beautiful dark crimson color, almost no bricking. The nose didn't give much, but the palate blew me away: stewed plums and many things I wasn't able to identify. The most striking part was the way the wine coated one's mouth at the end. Stunning.
It was so good that we started drinking the bottle at the apero and finished it with steaks.
Older vintages from this wine are no so often available on the market in Switzerland but I have an opportunity I will jump on it. I am also considering buying some more recent vintages although I don't know if the wine-making is at the same level now.
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2/28/2023 - MC2 Wines wrote:
Birthday Bonanza (Ai Fiori (Langham Hotel on 5th Ave)): One of the bettter version of this wine that I’ve had. Normally it comes across as much more tired but this was drinking pretty well. Misses the new world fruit but I think that’s always true of the old Georges de Latour.
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12/22/2021 - JR1575 Likes this wine: 93 Points
delicious and rich as expected. didnt have enough time to properly decant but only changed for the bettter in the decanter during dinner... blackberry and currants.. much more complex than a typical california
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11/21/2021 - Waverlywine Likes this wine: 91 Points
Almost tastes more like a Burgundy. Eucalyptus, fennel. Lighter than a cab and color of a Burgundy.
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1/22/2021 - jordanj Likes this wine: 94 Points
Dark and opaque. Still. Nose of ripe dark fruit with gorgeous, yes gorgeous notes of tobacco, soy sauce (but less reductive than it connotes), some fresh tree bark, smoke and light potpourri. This is amazingly fresh. This is showing some tertiary characteristics but still well embedded in it’s secondary phase. I think it was Neal Martin that describes this wine as suspended in time. Exactly! The palate is dry and tannic. Definitely not well rounded and fleshy as the nose might suggests. 94 points on a technical basis is generous but warranted on an enjoyment scale.
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10/3/2020 - JR1575 Likes this wine: 92 Points
We all loved it. Five hour decant. Like blackberry velvet on the tongue... intense and still dense and sultry... lots of minerality
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3/28/2020 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Part of an online offline with some friends. We made '79 the theme of the night and drank this and a barolo. I wasn't totally sure how well this would hold up as it's not meant to be a great year and so we did more of a pnp. In retrospect prob could have used a bit of a decant. It seemed to get better as the night wore on and it had more air. Nice wine and enjoyable (esp considering the year).
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1/31/2020 - prof b wrote: flawed
Same bottle as Salil. Definitely something off.
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1/31/2020 - salil wrote: flawed
A bizarre showing - there's some dark fruit here and bright acidity on the palate giving it some lift, but everything's overwhelmed by a very distracting vinyl/plasticky note in the aromatics that dominates the fruit.
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12/9/2019 - Mtpisgah Likes this wine:
Refer to Stolz’s note.
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12/8/2019 - mattstolz11 Likes this wine: 93 Points
brilliant wine right from the get go, but put on fruit and weight with some time in the decanter and glass. such vibrant fruit. definitely in the tertiary characteristics but not overwhelming and nowhere near tired. yum!
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7/13/2019 - slywka7 Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted and drank. Cork broke when taking it out. Aromas of dried cherry, dried currant, earth and iron. Flavors of dried cherry, dried currant, herb and dried blackberry. Ends with a 25-30 seconds with blackberry notes. Took some time to come around but a really great wine.
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3/16/2019 - Burgundy Al wrote: 88 Points
Sheldon's 60th Birthday (The Bristol - Chicago IL): Fully mature black fruit with a reasonable balance of black fruit and structure to start, but a bit tart on finish that makes it lose harmony. Several people thought Bordeaux served blind, and I would probably have made that same mistake.
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6/17/2018 - Ben F Likes this wine: 92 Points
Dinner at Home, Mill Valley, CA. Early celebration of wife’s birthday. Opened and slow oxed for one hour prior to decanting. From 750ml
An impressive and beautifully aged Napa cabernet. Far from tired or an academically “interesting” look at old school Napa wines, the Beaulieu was a compete surprise to the upside, indeed pleasure in a glass. Classic full mature Napa cab notes, with minty eucalyptus and dark soil notes particularly on the palate. Aged but not fading (and I’m not just saying this since it was a birth year wine for my wife), and a great pairing with dry aged Belcampo steaks.
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3/3/2018 - Vinomnivore Likes this wine: 97 Points
Always a gamble with older bottles, but this one really preformed beyond expectations tonight. Flavors of tobacco, earth, cedar were all present but not at all dominating and in balance with vibrant but still delicate and sweet red fruit. I agree that there is just a hint of sherry. I think the vitality of the fruit is what most set this apart from the 75 I had the other night. Opened and consumed over 5 hours, it held up over the course of the evening.
This bottle was in excellent condition. I hope the others are as good!
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11/15/2017 - Madatnumbers wrote:
Was a little musty, still some fruit. Really enjoyed opening something with this much age
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11/24/2016 - Nerdy Earth Boy Likes this wine: 91 Points
OK did not compare with its 1978 older sibling but was certainly a joy in its own right being almost 4 decades aged of Rutherford CAB.
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7/25/2016 - Villon wrote: 93 Points
Bouteille très bien conservée, avec une couleur encore foncée et des flaveurs de fruits noirs, de chocolat et de tabac. On est très loin d'un vin mort, même si le fruit est moins marqué en bouche qu'au nez. Assez longue finale tannique. Solide et structuré, un peu rustique dans ses tannins. C'est pas tous les jours qu'on peut boire un vin de son année de naissance: merci Champlain Charest! 93
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5/24/2016 - AV2012 wrote: 93 Points
Paris Judgement 40th Anniversary: Punchy, juicy fruits, pepper. Very intense, lively and present. Wow. WOTN for me.
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4/20/2016 - Ex-Ray Likes this wine: 100 Points
At home, went well with Imam Bayildi, first time I've made it. We started drinking BV Private Reserve in the early 1970s, first with the '66 vintage, then with the wonderful '68-'70 trio, then much '74. Over the years the wine had gone downhill in quality and the style had changed, so I stopped buying it. This was the last bottle in my cellar, after at one time having ten cases of Private Reserve. It was purchased on release and slept in my cellar all these years. I didn't know if it would still be good, but it was just perfect, a return to their great wines of old! Now brick red with slight browning edges, translucent, but the nose was unmistakable BV...pronounced sweet cassis with prominent American oak aromas, very complex. Still very viscous, with glycerin coating the glass. The flavors still medium-full, perfectly smooth, round, and balanced, with American oak carrying through and that hint of sherry so typical of B.V. Soft, sweet, elegant aftertaste, long-lasting. I doubt I'll have another of these old friends, so perfectly stored and so perfect...a real treat!
Ric
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4/18/2016 - Quiet Lion Likes this wine: 95 Points
From magnum. Feminine, floral nose immediately upon opening with no funk. Tasted and then decided to decant as it seemed it would benefit from air. Lots of structure left, moderate acid, long finish. Very old-world style like a St.-Julien. Some gave it wows, including me; others thought it was meh. Fruit-bomb lovers will obviously not like this style but fans of aged BVGDL will not be disappointed.
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3/1/2015 - partylikeakennedy wrote: 94 Points
Sharing with friends. The best!
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2/27/2015 - partylikeakennedy wrote: 94 Points
Probably the best '79 Latour we've had - and we've had our share of these. The cork was fricking perfect, the bottle fill level was like new, and the color of the wine was a gorgeous shade of blackberry. Complex nose with transient flashes of bacon, pepper, anise, nutmeg, and Christmas. The palate is much more subtle though. Extremely soft tannins with flavors of prune, leather, and candied dark berries. The Beautour we had was much meatier and robust - almost overshadowed this one - we should've started with this first.
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10/25/2014 - WineBarter Likes this wine: 93 Points
I had this last night outside around a fire. I chose this because the other drinker likes musty old cabs. But was I surprised. It was lively and very youthful for a 35 year old. There was plenty of dark and some emerging red fruit. Much less cigarbox. forest floor, leather than I would have expected. And it improved in the glass. I am always worried about the disappearing nose in older wines, but this lasted...remarkably well. Well stored wines are worth their weight in gold!
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10/12/2014 - jjh49 wrote: 89 Points
Not sure where this wine stated, but better than expected given age
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9/28/2014 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Popped and poured. Cork almost fell apart but managed to get it out with an Ah So. Wine was on its last legs but it was still drinking well. Musty old wine characteristics to start, but these faded leaving a nice cherry flavor, some earthiness. Enjoyed this wine. Maybe most interesting was the bottle which was clearly made to inform the American consumer on wine including a description of Cabernet Sauvignon the grape.
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9/1/2014 - vmfa_jjr Likes this wine: 94 Points
A near perfect example of very well-cared-for 35 y/o BV Georges de Latour. This wine was built to last and has. As-new fill level with some minor soaking of the cork. Wine poured a deep ruby, with no browning at the edges. A nose of port at the open that gave way to black fruit and olives after 30' decant, but all "Rutherford Dust" and prototypical high-end Napa cab from way back on the palate.
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8/31/2014 - partylikeakennedy wrote: 93 Points
Aaaahhh
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8/31/2014 - Nerdy Earth Boy Likes this wine: 92 Points
A millimeter of cork left kept this bottle in fabulous condition! 35 years of well aged beauty. Stunning indeed. Delicious soft and silky. You can't help but think that maybe waiting three and one-half decades is all worth it.
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5/29/2014 - IWineAlot wrote: 93 Points
Base neck fill from 750 ml bottle. Lightly bricking ruby color. Mushroom, forest floor, beef jus with berries on the nose. Very youthful still, lots of dark fruit like plums with a nice tobacco note. Medium plus finish. What a great bottle of aged cabernet.
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4/3/2014 - Fid wrote: flawed
Opened two bottles. Both corks had very little wine penetration and were dry which immediately worried me. Both bottles were badly oxidized. Undrinkable.
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1/6/2014 - oakland.cory wrote: 91 Points
Evolved but with loads of luscious fruit. A nice surprise.
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12/31/2013 - meniscus Likes this wine: 89 Points
Redwood on the nose says it well. Complex nose. Color is dark ruby/garnet with hardly any bricking on the rim. Remarkably youthful but a little to "piquant" to be great. Just a bit hollow on the mid palate.
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12/9/2013 - CamoDave wrote:
Dave Melvin
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11/5/2013 - salcorn Likes this wine: 92 Points
From an extremely well stored lot of six bottles. One of the most youthful 79 BV GDLTPR from the 70s I've had in many years. This vintage is much fruitier than I remembered. It begins with a powerful redwood nose that dissipates after a half hour, leaving min, chocolate, dust and a hint of rubber. None of the oxidized or maderized character that some old BV develops (including other 79s I've had).
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7/28/2013 - joishscellar wrote: 80 Points
over the hill and far away..
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6/9/2013 - GrumpyYoungMan Likes this wine:
Decided to pop this open at my going away party back in June. There were a ton of wine friends there, so this seemed like a great time. Nice and brown around the edges, still a little brick red in the middle. Did a pop and pour, watching it evolve through the night. Elegant, mature, leather and spice with a hint of red fruit. Lots of dried flowers in the nose. It wasn't huge, but shouldn't be at this age. In great condition, still drinking well, but I wouldn't hold on any longer if you still have one of these babies around. I'm sure that being a magnum has helped it age a little more gracefully.
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4/2/2013 - dhammer53 wrote:
Drank this with Ken V in Albany. Very smooth, and ever so slight tannins. Easy drinking, but in my opinion, nothing special. The 01 Saxum James Berry Bone Rock and 08 Lewelling Cab Sauv - Wight were far superior.
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3/2/2013 - bjammin Likes this wine: 91 Points
(from Northern Thailand) Had this few nights ago with some friends [they now owe me big time]. Have stored this carefully for past decades and it paid off. Cork was flawless, decanted and sat for nearly an hour to open up. Berries, leather, flowers and cedar. Was NOT past it's peak but I believe that was because mine was a magnum and aged more slowly than 750ml. Perhaps this is why others have commented that the '79 [750ml]was past its prime.
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9/15/2012 - Burgundy Al wrote: 87 Points
Late Summer Afternoon Outside with Friends (Lake Forest IL): Backward fruit with a slightly stern, slightly reductive start. Mature plum and cherry flavors, slightly smoky, but also not particularly forthcoming with some rough edges.
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7/25/2012 - prof b wrote: 90 Points
Kahns "Look What We Found" Tasting Event (Seasons 52, Indianapolis): Another big, full bodied wine showing cherries, wet earth and a medicinal (cough medicine)- like quality. A quality wine, but the flavor components hitting my palate weren't quite my style.
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1/24/2012 - Flavito wrote: flawed
Unfortunately way past it, with a maderized nose, hollow palate and short, bitter finish. It did show some faint class from previous glory days, and was in no way undrinkable. We actually finish half the bottle, as a tribute to a potentially glorious past...
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1/1/2011 - TheEngineer wrote: 88 Points
Never had this wine before and what a delight! Still very dark garnet in colour with only the slightly of bricking. On opening, it had a very elegant nose, slight reserved, leather, but still fruit strength. On taste, it was a bit discombolulated, perhaps rather tart but that changed after about 1 hour in the bottle when it all came together and became a very balanced drink. Lovely persistent and long
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10/23/2010 - W.Simons wrote:
Smoke and forest floor, yes; however this bottle still showed ample red fruits and was very well integrated. Moderate sediment -- took a short while to open up. Shows plenty of life. Very nice.
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9/15/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 70 Points
1979 BV Reserve with its smoke, tobacco, forest floor aromas would need to be hooked up to a defibrillator if owners hope to coax any life back into this wine. With a finish similar to a sweet tart, with any of the sweetness, this dud should be avoided. 7
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7/31/2010 - 2muchwine2drink wrote: 92 Points
An absolute gem as I clear out some of my older bottles. This was a Christmas present in 1986. Color was red, no hint of brown even at the edges. Looked for all the world like a 2009, not a 1979. Poured directly, no decanting. Wonderful from beginning to end, over an hour in the glass, although lots of sediment got in the way of the last pour. Strong fig on the palate initially, changing to red fruit. Not at all tannic. Absolutely ready to drink, and proof of why it's a good idea to resist the temptation to drink the good stuff young.
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12/26/2009 - 10ktrav wrote: 80 Points
Was a bit acidic, had a nice tobacco smell
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7/5/2009 - dougie wrote: 89 Points
nice
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4/17/2009 - Harrypotter wrote:
Aromatically - tobacco, geranium, along with other floral aromas and heavy toast smoke. A faint antique aroma. A very crisp wine with a good amount of acid. aging better than many of the 79's. Not shabby
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4/11/2009 - cadamson wrote: 87 Points
Brownish - orange color, nose that smelled like a closet where a dozen people just spent the last 30 minutes smoking cigars, with some leather. The nose constantly changed the proportion of that mix along with some cedar that would show itself, and I liked it, though I did get a bit of what seemed like 'cooked' nose that popped up here and there. The palate actually had some surprisingly good fruit on the front and mid, though the finish was very dry. Clearly on its way down, but I ended up liking it a lot better than my first sip had indicated.
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4/10/2009 - jivey wrote: 85 Points
Not as past as you would think with a decent amber color with hues of bronze on the edge, still clear and alive. The nose is total cedar, cigar box, brown sugar, tobacco hints of red fruits and anise. Finish is dried rose pedals and cigar (yeah like I just smocked one). Nice treat!
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4/4/2009 - jivey wrote: 88 Points
sweet red and black fruits, vanilla, herbs, and earth is pleasing. In the mouth, there is outstanding richness, full body, crisp, underlying acidity, and moderate tannin in the finish.
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2/22/2009 - NotNYC wrote: 94 Points
Beyond expectations - I bot this mag at BV in '81 (I was what...13?) and somehow this remained sound. High ullage, no leakage; still, I expected vinegar or oxidation... The nose..OMG this nose is so deep, seductive and entrancing. No grip. No veggie notes. Big classic secondary character. Simply happy to finally open this. My first collector wine purchase, ever. And a testament as to why my Ca Cabs sleep in the cellar. Began to fall off ~hr 2. Points awarded for what it is to me and not against any trophy wines. A pleasure.
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2/12/2009 - balkmr@hotmail.com wrote: 86 Points
From 750. Nose of fresh blackberries and light bacon fat. Has a nice tawny port color at it's core with a slight browning at the rim. Taste runs along with the nose with some cassis. Didn't get a lot of veggies like others have. Not complex, but for a birthyear wine, I enjoyed it. Points are based on evaluation, I'd probably add 3-5 pts. based on experience.
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2/5/2009 - thirstyman wrote: flawed
oxidized
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12/15/2006 - Nanda wrote: 80 Points
Flock Tasting of 1970s Cal Cabs (Chicago, IL): Bronze ruby and faded at the rim. Vegetal nose with pungent spices. Palate dominated by green vegetal notes that overwhelm nice underlying cassis fruit. Something is off here. Interesting that the first bottle showed much better. My #9, Group #9.
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12/15/2006 - Nanda wrote: 88 Points
Flock Tasting of 1970s Cal Cabs (Chicago, IL): Dark bronzing ruby at the core with fading at the rim. Light nose of green herbs and red fruits. Palate shows much more than the nose --- cassis, licorice and green herbs. Tannins are resolved into the fruit, which is bright and lifted. Nice herb-driven finish. Kept improving with 1+ hours in the glass. My #6, Group #7.
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4/9/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote: 90 Points
Firm black fruit aromas with moderate spice, still fresh for almost 30 years old. Slightly more mature on palate, with everything in good harmony.
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12/22/2005 - bheller wrote: 91 Points
Showed well with a 1979 Sterling Reserve Cab. Still red, slight bit of brown. Smooooooth. Tannins receded. Time to drink it, but withstood test of time very well.
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7/25/2001 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 91 Points
Tasting of 13 BV Georges de Latour, nice dull red color in the glass, nose of spice, burnt orange, tasted much newer on the palate, slight tannic finish. #6/13.
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1/25/1992 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 93 Points
Aniko's Dinner Party (Walnut Creek, Ca.): Nice fruity nose and taste, well balanced, great finish.
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12/16/1990 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 81 Points
8 Georges de La Tour tasted at Mike's house, storage quality much higher than the Primas Tasting 8 days earlier. Was a very rich fruity nose, almost new cabernet nose with hints of burnt orange pel, nice fresh cabernet fruit taste that was big, rich, fruity, intense and tannic wine, finish showed good acid and tannin that needs 5 years of age to peak. My #8
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12/8/1990 - bestdamncab Likes this wine: 83 Points
9 Vintages of BV Reserve tasted. Was closed on the nose with subtle hints of candy and wood, viscous, medium body, too much tannins and acid, but showed a big, long cabernet finish. My #8 and Group #7.
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