Opened for Karen's 50th birthday....to think these grapes were picked in the year she was born, and this bottle has been waiting, traveling wherever it has been, for this day is amazing when you think about it. Hard to find a '74, but settled on this bottle. I highly recommend saving important old bottles for special events. Cork so delicate it was brittle on top, spongy and broke in half at the bottom. Ruby to tangerine at the edges. Floral, green, savory elements of strawberry, new leather, clove, cinnamon on the nose. Feminine, with crisp acidity. Fruit nearly all devolved....hints of underripe strawberry, crisp orange, cran. Lithe and smooth. After several hours of air and on day two, gained much flesh and body, even better with more depth and mid-palate. Cherry notes, with a smoother finish. Didn't last long enough for more notes, but quite enjoyable. I would strongly recommend opening, giving air before pouring, and take your time to enjoy as this got better with air.
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Maybe my WOTN only because it was exactly in its drinking window (the 98 Grange was stunning and yet too young). WeLLC aged, well integrated, still just a hint of the fruit. A bit savory. Drinks nicely. Another example of a good winemaker and bad vintage.
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A splendid bottle from a lesser vintage. The nose was pure and fresh, showing notes of violets, cedar, tobacco and cassis. It was not particularly deep or long in the mouth but has terrific proportion and balance. Flavours were all bright and clear and whilst there's some tertiary nuance sneaking in, it remains youthful and expressive the whole bottle through.
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Drank alongside with Mouton 1975. Very burgundish. sweet, fruity, earthy , dark colour, ripe tannins and a good acidity structure. at the end still balanced, At his peak. The best 1974 from Bordeaux I had. Won against Mouton . 94-95
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stewed rhubarb notes, some plum outstanding balance! It seems the balance holds up for these very old wines. -nice to see. Held up very well for day 2, again superb structure.
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What to drink before we die... (Restaurant Prinzinger, Düsseldorf (Germany)): The clear winner against the 1979 Pichon Longueville Comtesse. 1974 wasn't a great year but this one is very nice and still has some years to go. Cassis, ripe blueberries and fresh leather. Great structure and smooth tannins. Amazing to see how great producer can handle suboptimal years.
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Still possible to drink, but that's about it ... old and tired, nothing left inside. Even after decanting and giving it time, it did not improve ... guess she gave all she could.
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Oh my god - just opened this 40 year old bottle (bought in the late 70's at the old Macy's liquor shop at 34th & 7th Avenue at it's going-out-of-business sale) and it was wonderful. The cork was in not-so-good shape, but the color was a beautiful ruby red with no off-nose with plenty of fruit and good tannin. It improved in the glass. My wife and I were ecstatic that this ancient bottle stored not exactly in the best of cellar conditions in our New York apartment was so wonderful. I do think, we should further celebrate this venerable Cheval Blanc by opening a bottle of the 1972 tomorrow. My fingers are crossed. Thank you, thank you.
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Tasted with friend Yiannis and Sotiris along with two other great Bordeauxs of off vintages. Had the darker colour of the three wines tasted that evening. Nose retained some black fruit, healthy and concentrated. In the mouth it was exquisite, a fine mature Bordeaux with sweetness, lenght, concentration and good length. Thorougly enjoyable and not tired in the least!
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Bordeaux old off vintages at "B. Dylan" 's. My friend "B. Dylan" invited me to taste 3 bottles of Bordeaux big eights, from off-vintages of the early 70's that he bought in a mixed case of 6. What an unexpectedly enjoyable wine this one was! My personal choice for WOTN. Medium garnet with brick hues. Most youthful nose of the trio, with licorice, dark cherry, cassis, plum and hints of underbrush. Mid-full bodied, with firm but elegant tanins, rich fruit and balancing acidity. Longest finish of the 3. Everybody agreed that this was the roundest of the 3, though "B. Dylan" and Sotiris, who joined us late at night, voted for the Haut-Brion 1972, seduced by its unbeatable elegance and exotic aromatics. Our conclusion was that great Bordeaux Chateaux, even from lesser vintages, are in a class of their own in terms of ageability.
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Great bottle! I was very unsure about this wine and the tough vintage 1974, but this wine performed very well :-)
The wine evolved in the decanter and got better and better with time in the decanter and glass ... up to 17h!!
When I first opened the bottle and took a sip (before the decanter) I gave the wine 86 - 87 points. And the wine did not get better over the next two hours. The wine seemed to die after 2 -3 h, and I didn't expect this wine to improve like it did. After 5 hours it started to show it's potential! For one of my friends it was too late ... he poured his glass of wine into the sink after 2 h ;-)
Deep mature colour. Amazingly good nose. Stables, leather, smoke, salt/mineral, cassis, tobacco and pencil/graphite.
Stringent, lots of tannins, but still fruit that stand up to the tannins. On the palate this wine offers leather, coffee, tobacco, meat and blood. Quite light body, but very nice mouthfill and the finish is quite long; 25 to 30 sec.
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Maybe I overrated it. From this perfect condition, I hesitate to drink this bottle for a long time due to the very weak vintage and I don't like Cheval Blanc. ( also Ch. Margaux )
Dark ruby colour. It's very nice... not good, not bad...the 1970 last time was much better.
Anyway, woody scent reminds of Mouton, the medical/cassis finished reminds me of Haut-Brion. Medium to full-bodied, sweetness of Cheval Blanc appears from the beginning, well-round, nice wine...nice aftertaste...nothing changes within 4 hours of drinking.
It takes me back to the Pixar Movie...Ratatouille...
Drink it now ( maybe in decline but not serious ) it's stronger than Mouton 1974, absolutely !!!
Now I fall in love old Cheval Blanc...Great wines never risk with their fame...never surrender to the nature...Thanks...to the wine-makers !!!
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Deep dark red. Overwhelming bouquet with black and red fruits, tobacco and cedar. Good tannin which is soft but gives the wine just enough power. Full bodied and firm wine with a lingering aftertaste. The smell comes back in the taste. This is the best wine I ever drank up to now. After the bottles were revealed we were very surprised; the 3 of us agreed that the colour was different, the body was different, the bouquet and taste was different. We do not know the history of the bottles except that they were bought at different shops. So different storage could at least explain part of these enormous differences.
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Yes! Two tasting notes made on the same day about the same wine. We all had to bring a great wine. That was the objective. The tasting order was blindly decided by the women, so we did not know who's wine we had when. It was extreme coincidence two people brought exactly the same wine. Bought at different shops. There definitely was a bottle difference, so that is why I write down the two notes. Red colour. Complex fruity bouquet with luxury oak; very attractive. Soft wine with fresh acidity and little oak. Not very full bodied. A very harmonious wine.
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2/7/2024 - Senso-beak wrote: 92 Points
Opened for Karen's 50th birthday....to think these grapes were picked in the year she was born, and this bottle has been waiting, traveling wherever it has been, for this day is amazing when you think about it. Hard to find a '74, but settled on this bottle. I highly recommend saving important old bottles for special events. Cork so delicate it was brittle on top, spongy and broke in half at the bottom. Ruby to tangerine at the edges. Floral, green, savory elements of strawberry, new leather, clove, cinnamon on the nose. Feminine, with crisp acidity. Fruit nearly all devolved....hints of underripe strawberry, crisp orange, cran. Lithe and smooth. After several hours of air and on day two, gained much flesh and body, even better with more depth and mid-palate. Cherry notes, with a smoother finish. Didn't last long enough for more notes, but quite enjoyable. I would strongly recommend opening, giving air before pouring, and take your time to enjoy as this got better with air.
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1/28/2024 - Hugo Hilde Likes this wine:
While showing its age, this remains energetic with aromas of cigar box, leather, cranberry and blackberry.
The palate is still alive, showing smoke, heather, black pepper, band aid and a dry, dusty finish, which has decent length.
Absolutely stunning that this is from 74, it has to be one of the best Bordeaux wines from that vintage.
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9/16/2023 - MC2 Wines Likes this wine:
Maybe my WOTN only because it was exactly in its drinking window (the 98 Grange was stunning and yet too young). WeLLC aged, well integrated, still just a hint of the fruit. A bit savory. Drinks nicely. Another example of a good winemaker and bad vintage.
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7/17/2019 - Jeremy Holmes wrote:
A splendid bottle from a lesser vintage. The nose was pure and fresh, showing notes of violets, cedar, tobacco and cassis. It was not particularly deep or long in the mouth but has terrific proportion and balance. Flavours were all bright and clear and whilst there's some tertiary nuance sneaking in, it remains youthful and expressive the whole bottle through.
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1/29/2019 - ManniDB wrote: 91 Points
Still nice and tasty. Good color and structure.
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12/19/2018 - aquacongas Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drank alongside with Mouton 1975. Very burgundish. sweet, fruity, earthy , dark colour, ripe tannins and a good acidity structure. at the end still balanced, At his peak. The best 1974 from Bordeaux I had. Won against Mouton . 94-95
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9/21/2017 - AlbertaOenologist Likes this wine: 94 Points
stewed rhubarb notes, some plum
outstanding balance! It seems the balance holds up for these very old wines. -nice to see.
Held up very well for day 2, again superb structure.
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11/6/2016 - DrZett Likes this wine: 93 Points
What to drink before we die... (Restaurant Prinzinger, Düsseldorf (Germany)): The clear winner against the 1979 Pichon Longueville Comtesse. 1974 wasn't a great year but this one is very nice and still has some years to go. Cassis, ripe blueberries and fresh leather. Great structure and smooth tannins. Amazing to see how great producer can handle suboptimal years.
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9/4/2015 - steinersing wrote: 93 Points
From double mag - this is quite attractive still, with tobacco scents and nicely evolved. Good wine.
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3/28/2015 - Mathijs81 wrote:
Still possible to drink, but that's about it ... old and tired, nothing left inside.
Even after decanting and giving it time, it did not improve ... guess she gave all she could.
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12/20/2014 - boss Likes this wine: 90 Points
Oh my god - just opened this 40 year old bottle (bought in the late 70's at the old Macy's liquor shop at 34th & 7th Avenue at it's going-out-of-business sale) and it was wonderful. The cork was in not-so-good shape, but the color was a beautiful ruby red with no off-nose with plenty of fruit and good tannin. It improved in the glass. My wife and I were ecstatic that this ancient bottle stored not exactly in the best of cellar conditions in our New York apartment was so wonderful. I do think, we should further celebrate this venerable Cheval Blanc by opening a bottle of the 1972 tomorrow. My fingers are crossed. Thank you, thank you.
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3/8/2014 - Fatty Cat wrote: 89 Points
Cheval Blanc tasting (30 different vintages) at the Rheingau Gourmet Festival 2014: rubin red color; red fruits; light body.
A light body wine.
Vintages 2nd flight: 1973-1974-1976-1977-1978
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4/30/2010 - Stefanos T. wrote: 92 Points
Tasted with friend Yiannis and Sotiris along with two other great Bordeauxs of off vintages. Had the darker colour of the three wines tasted that evening. Nose retained some black fruit, healthy and concentrated. In the mouth it was exquisite, a fine mature Bordeaux with sweetness, lenght, concentration and good length. Thorougly enjoyable and not tired in the least!
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4/30/2010 - Yiannis wrote: 93 Points
Bordeaux old off vintages at "B. Dylan" 's.
My friend "B. Dylan" invited me to taste 3 bottles of Bordeaux big eights, from off-vintages of the early 70's that he bought in a mixed case of 6.
What an unexpectedly enjoyable wine this one was! My personal choice for WOTN. Medium garnet with brick hues. Most youthful nose of the trio, with licorice, dark cherry, cassis, plum and hints of underbrush. Mid-full bodied, with firm but elegant tanins, rich fruit and balancing acidity. Longest finish of the 3. Everybody agreed that this was the roundest of the 3, though "B. Dylan" and Sotiris, who joined us late at night, voted for the Haut-Brion 1972, seduced by its unbeatable elegance and exotic aromatics. Our conclusion was that great Bordeaux Chateaux, even from lesser vintages, are in a class of their own in terms of ageability.
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12/31/2009 - Tenuta Stefan Likes this wine: 92 Points
Great bottle!
I was very unsure about this wine and the tough vintage 1974, but this wine performed very well :-)
The wine evolved in the decanter and got better and better with time in the decanter and glass ... up to 17h!!
When I first opened the bottle and took a sip (before the decanter) I gave the wine 86 - 87 points. And the wine did not get better over the next two hours. The wine seemed to die after 2 -3 h, and I didn't expect this wine to improve like it did.
After 5 hours it started to show it's potential!
For one of my friends it was too late ... he poured his glass of wine into the sink after 2 h ;-)
Deep mature colour.
Amazingly good nose. Stables, leather, smoke, salt/mineral, cassis, tobacco and pencil/graphite.
Stringent, lots of tannins, but still fruit that stand up to the tannins.
On the palate this wine offers leather, coffee, tobacco, meat and blood.
Quite light body, but very nice mouthfill and the finish is quite long; 25 to 30 sec.
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11/14/2009 - petkos wrote: 90 Points
Very impresive. This wine is still drinking well.
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12/29/2007 - noppakit s. wrote: 88 Points
Maybe I overrated it. From this perfect condition, I hesitate to drink this bottle for a long time due to the very weak vintage and I don't like Cheval Blanc. ( also Ch. Margaux )
Dark ruby colour. It's very nice... not good, not bad...the 1970 last time was much better.
Anyway, woody scent reminds of Mouton, the medical/cassis finished reminds me of Haut-Brion. Medium to full-bodied, sweetness of Cheval Blanc appears from the beginning, well-round, nice wine...nice aftertaste...nothing changes within 4 hours of drinking.
It takes me back to the Pixar Movie...Ratatouille...
Drink it now ( maybe in decline but not serious ) it's stronger than Mouton 1974, absolutely !!!
Now I fall in love old Cheval Blanc...Great wines never risk with their fame...never surrender to the nature...Thanks...to the wine-makers !!!
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8/31/1985 - Zweder wrote: 93 Points
Deep dark red. Overwhelming bouquet with black and red fruits, tobacco and cedar. Good tannin which is soft but gives the wine just enough power. Full bodied and firm wine with a lingering aftertaste. The smell comes back in the taste. This is the best wine I ever drank up to now. After the bottles were revealed we were very surprised; the 3 of us agreed that the colour was different, the body was different, the bouquet and taste was different. We do not know the history of the bottles except that they were bought at different shops. So different storage could at least explain part of these enormous differences.
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8/31/1985 - Zweder wrote: 88 Points
Yes! Two tasting notes made on the same day about the same wine. We all had to bring a great wine. That was the objective. The tasting order was blindly decided by the women, so we did not know who's wine we had when. It was extreme coincidence two people brought exactly the same wine. Bought at different shops. There definitely was a bottle difference, so that is why I write down the two notes. Red colour. Complex fruity bouquet with luxury oak; very attractive. Soft wine with fresh acidity and little oak. Not very full bodied. A very harmonious wine.
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