1979 Wine

There is something reassuring about seeing a bottle of Chateau Montelena. This classic, old Napa Valley winery is best known for its Cabernet Sauvignon, but they can also fashion wonderful Chardonnay from the Alexander and Napa... Read More

The group disagreed on this light, mature wine; I found it lean and dry, with light raisin and dusty notes. Drink up.--Cheval-Blanc vertical. -TM WS

The 1979 is one of the few vintages in the seventies in which I find La Mission to be less successful than its neighbor, Chateau Haut-Brion. Nevertheless, in this bountiful year, La Mission made a wonderfully elegant, surprisingly... Read More

Fruity, deep and firm, filled with plum and cherry, backed by youthful, stiff tannins. Needs time for complexity to develop. Try in 1995.--Lafite Rothschild vertical. WS

This wine has been difficult to evaluate, as evidenced by mutiple tasting notes that varied greatly in terms of the wine's style and quality. In most examples, the 1979 Latour has been backward and astringent, with medium... Read More

This tasting consisted of each of the varietal components of Las Cases, followed by the final blend for Leoville-Las Cases. It is hard to believe, but the cuvee of Cabernet Sauvignon is so acidic, tough, hard, sinewy, and almost... Read More

(no tasting note available)

(no tasting note available)

No tasting note given in WS

Undoubtedly a top success for the vintage, Pichon-Lalande's 1979 exhibits a dark garnet color with some amber at the edge. It offers a fragrant, cedary, roasted herb, and cassis-scented nose. Rich, with medium body, well-integrated... Read More

This decade of winemaking closes with another successful effort. The 1979 Sassicaia delivers a playfully Mediterranean personality that marries this great Tuscan red blend to a concrete sense of territory. You can almost smell... Read More

This is an immensely attractive Yquem, yet it seems to be missing something. Light golden, with Yquem's typically oaky, spicy, buttery, ripe bouquet, it is only slightly more reserved than usual. On the palate, this full-bodied... Read More