1970 Grand Puy Lacoste

One of the few wines that was not purchased in the early 1970s (I made a trade - and a good one, for this bottle), this deep, dark ruby-colored wine exhibits good liveliness in its color. The wine reveals the classic cassis, mineral, weedy tobacco, spicy nose of a top Pauillac. Full-bodied, concentrated, and close to full maturity, it is a flavorful, expansive, chewy wine. Although it has been distressingly inconsistent in previous tastings, I am convinced the off bottles had been cooked - undoubtedly by exposure to high temperatures. In this tasting, it was a delicious, outstanding example of the vintage that should continue to drink well for another decade.

One of the few wines that was not purchased in the early 1970s (I made a trade - and a good one, for this bottle), this deep, dark ruby-colored wine exhibits good liveliness in its color. The wine reveals the classic cassis, mineral, weedy tobacco, spicy nose of a top Pauillac. Full-bodied, concentrated, and close to full maturity, it is a flavorful, expansive, chewy wine. Although it has been distressingly inconsistent in previous tastings, I am convinced the off bottles had been cooked - undoubtedly by exposure to high temperatures. In this tasting, it was a delicious, outstanding example of the vintage that should continue to drink well for another decade. Wine Advocate.June, 1996

The 1970 Grand-Puy-Lacoste is a prime example of a wine that upon decanting offers little. The sommelier is a bit wary and I advise him to just wait an hour. Sure enough, this Pauillac blossoms in the glass, mustering energy, depth and complexity from seemingly nowhere. The bouquet is fully mature with black fruit, cedar and scents from a stately home, cohering with each passing minute. The palate is unapologetically “old school” with a little rusticity, yet the tannins are fine and the acidity pitch-perfect, continuing to offer irresistible tobacco-tinged black fruit.