Anyone have WTN's for any of these?

My wife and I are locked in a do-or-die, no quarter asked or given, Vulcan Amok Time "return either with your shield or upon it" One Ring To Rule Them All death match of a wager that will take the next several weeks.

The stakes: winner gets to choose which bottle of my rapidly dwindling cellar to open next.

She'll open the '80 d'Yquem. I know she will.

I don't want to open the '80 dYquem. It's too young to die.

So I have to win.

Assuming I do, I've narrowed down my own choices to:

1. '70 Ch. Montrose

2. '77 Heitz Martha's Vinyard

3. '78 Heitz M.V.

4. '82 Cesari Amarone

Anyone have notes on any of these I can use to help guide my hand/Screwpull?

Thanks much

To victory!

[David M. Bueker]

Well the '77 Heitz probably needs to be opened. Not the best year in Napa. Leave that '78 alone.

My not especially extensive experiences with Amarone have left me persuaded that when they get better with age -- when they do at all -- they improve at glacial speed and the improvements don't knock your socks off. So I see little to lose in drinking your Amarone.

Well the '77 Heitz probably needs to be opened. Not the best year in Napa. Leave that '78 alone.

Thanks very much for that!

My not especially extensive experiences with Amarone have left me persuaded that when they get better with age -- when they do at all -- they improve at glacial speed and the improvements don't knock your socks off. So I see little to lose in drinking your Amarone.

Got it. I would't have known that - thanks!

I'm with Clint in thinking that I've never found aging Amarone to seem to be worth it. Little development
I really liked the '77 MV 6-7 years ago, but the '78 is a truly great wine (on the level of thr '74 to me) with plenty of life left.
I've seen a lot of variability in 70 Montrose (most I've tasted have probably been traded a few times), but good bottles are maybe my fave vintage. Again, plenty of life.

In order of how confident I'd be holding (assuming good conditions of each), I'd drink in this order
Amarone
Yquem
77 HMV
70 Montrose
78 HMV

Just looked at windows of CT. The Montrose and Heitz have great scores and long windows from Gilman (who likes wines older than most, and therefore gives longest windows),He has Montrose to 2050(!) with 95 pt score, 78 MV 2040 98, 77 MV 2025 94

CT community window on Yquem 1993-2020(since CT didn't exist in 1993, I'm guessing that's a Parker window). and Cesari by 2015

1970 Montrose an 80 year wine?

[David M. Bueker]

1970 Montrose an 80 year wine?

Imagine if it was a Beaujolais. The window would go to 100.

Or is that 111?

Well, I noted John's preferences, and it's not like he says you gotta wait (window was 2006-2050). From 2006 timing of that note, it's from (blind) bottle that I also adored (as I said, others have showed less well, due to storage). Tim had decanted this one couple hours before dinner and it got better and better through night. Personally, I have come to decision that I pretty much figure any wine that shows well/young at 30-40 years is probably good for another 30-40. I've had plenty of tired 20 year old wines, but never seen a wine that showed well older than that suddenly fall off a cliff. In last few years I've had excellent -not the least bit tired- bottles of 1928s and 1929s from estates like Poujeaux, Malartic-L, and Beychevelle, so 80 year old Montrose seems pretty doable (the 21 and '28 are supposed to be spectacular).

I'm with Clint in thinking that I've never found aging Amarone to seem to be worth it. Little development
I really liked the '77 MV 6-7 years ago, but the '78 is a truly great wine (on the level of thr '74 to me) with plenty of life left.
I've seen a lot of variability in 70 Montrose (most I've tasted have probably been traded a few times), but good bottles are maybe my fave vintage. Again, plenty of life.

In order of how confident I'd be holding (assuming good conditions of each), I'd drink in this order
Amarone
Yquem
77 HMV
70 Montrose
78 HMV

That's fantastic, thanks Dale. Great stuff, I appreciate you taking the time to give it that much thought.

Now I just have to win...and wait 36 more years to open that Montrose

Don't know the Amarone.

Agree with David that the 77 Heitz needs drinking.

The 78 Heitz is on plateau and continues to coast,

The 70 Montrose is a wonderful wine on plateau but certainly isn't getting any better and in fact in most cellars is sloping down by now. I kept tasting against the 1990 and as both aged my preference shifted from the 70 to the 90. I'd better get to drinking my remaining couple of bottles of the 1970 soon.

Don't know the Amarone.

Agree with David that the 77 Heitz needs drinking.

The 78 Heitz is on plateau and continues to coast,

The 70 Montrose is a wonderful wine on plateau but certainly isn't getting any better and in fact in most cellars is sloping down by now. I kept tasting against the 1990 and as both aged my preference shifted from the 70 to the 90. I'd better get to drinking my remaining couple of bottles of the 1970 soon.

Thanks for all that, Bill. You guys have all given me great advice, and it's very much appreciated.