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Last Updated: 08/14/08
Viewed: 2811 times
Last Updated: 08/14/08
Viewed: 2811 times
My favorites from Chateauneuf du Pape's Legendary 1978 Vintage
A wine list by Stephen Tanzer, Wine Writer, IWC
Before a new generation of wine lovers was seduced by an unprecedented run of topnotch Chateauneuf vintages (1998-2001, 2004-2006), there was the magical season of 1978, a vintage whose low crop levels, solid tannins and excellent acidity yielded wines of extraordinary concentration, structure and longevity. Kept in consistent 55-degree storage, many of these wines are still in stunningly good condition today. (There's a magnum of the Clos du Mont-Olivet resting comfortably in the cave unit in my kitchen that's surely going to lose its cork some frigid day next winter.) It remains to be seen if any vintage since '78 will be as long-lived.
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1978 Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf du Pape La Crau
A powerfully tannic wine with a degree of grip that transcends grenache; the last vintage to be made here prior to the introduction of stainless steel fermentation tanks.
Priced From: $950.00
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1978 Chateau Rayas Chateauneuf du Pape
A monumental wine from this great estate, but with some variation owing to multiple bottlings; the best bottles may well go on for another decade or two.
Priced From: $75.00
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1978 Les Cailloux Chateauneuf du Pape
An uncanny combination of power and elegance; masks its 15% alcohol, thanks to a level of acidity that owner André Brunel says was considerably higher than that of todays wines.
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1978 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf du Pape
An explosive, extremely slow-evolving wine whose tannins hit the palate late, allowing the fruit, leather and underbrush flavors to explode on the aftertaste.
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1978 Clos du Mont Olivet Chateauneuf du Pape
Made from a tiny crop, this wine was undrinkably tannic for at least the first decade of its life but may go on forever; wonderfully perfumed and expressive Châteauneuf.
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1978 Chateau Fortia Chateauneuf du Pape
A great wine from this estate, back in top form in recent years following a dip in the 1980s and early 90s.
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1978 Domaine Henri Bonneau Chateauneuf du Pape
Experienced once with the master himself, in his dining room; three words: W-O-W!
Average cost for wines on this list: $512.00