WTN: Two Calif Cabs '78....(short/boring)

Tried these two last Sun at Pig+Fig from Blair's Cellar:
1, JosephPhelpsVnyds CabSauv BackusVnyd/NapaVlly (13.6%) St.Helena 1978: Very dark color w/ slight bricking; intense cedary/pencilly/smokey/cigar box/Fr.oak strong blackcurranty/Cab/slight herbal quite complex old Bdx beautiful nose; lightly tart strong youthful/blackcurranty/CS/slight herbal bit arth/herbal/Bdx-like fairly cedary/pencilly/oak quite complex flavor w/ modest gentle tannins; very long/lingering fairly strong blackcurranty/Cab/slight herbal strong cedary/pencilly/cigar box/Fr.oak slight earthy very complex finish w/ some smooth tannins; still loads of CS fruit and about as perfect an aged NapaVlly CS as you can get; beautiful slightly Bdx-like old Cab showing no signs of fading. $14.85 (LB)
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2. Ridge CabSauv MonteBello/SantaCruzMtns (94% CS/6% Merlot; EG; 13.6%; bttld Oct 1980; Drk: 9/82-9/86: PD) 1978: Very dark color w/ slight browning; strong cedary/smokey/cigar box/coffee bean/oak light blackcurranty/CS some earthy/dusty/OV quite complex beautiful nose; lightly tart slight bretty strong old MB/coffee bean some blackcurranty/CS/slight herbal some dusty/OV rather cedary/cigar box/coffee bean/oak complex flavor w/ light smooth tannins; very long/lingering smokey/cigar box/coffee bean/oak some blackcurranty/CS/bit herbal some dusty/OV rather complex finish w/ light gentle tannins; still in great shape & still holding the fruit; a lovely fully-mature and then some MB Cab. $27.00 (vTH)
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A wee BloodyPulpit:
1. MonteBello: Well beyond Draper's predicted drinkability window, but still going relatively strong, starting to fade just a bit. Not sure why Paul gave it suc a relatively short drinking window. Perhaps because the '78 was the last of the drought yrs and things were fairly ripe though this MB showed no signs of overripeness.
Tom

[David M. Bueker]

Those old prices just kill me.

Those old prices just kill me.

Well, David.... back then we were all bitch in' and moanin' how badly out of hand the prices we're getting.
Tom

Such interesting notes on older wines, Tom. Not boring to me.

Wondered about those prices...seems those are per bottle? Now the prices listed are below the price per glass in many restaurants. Which is why we don't often get wine at restaurants...much less dine in. Especially now.

To each his own....

Such interesting notes on older wines, Tom. Not boring to me.

Wondered about those prices...seems those are per bottle? Now the prices listed are below the price per glass in many restaurants. Which is why we don't often get wine at restaurants...much less dine in. Especially now.

To each his own....

Yup, Pat... those are the btl prices... way back when Blair bought them.
Tom

Got a few under $25 Cab Sauv in my cellar, cheapest from Mendoza. Not surprised. Thank goodness we like so many varietals.

Should have called me - could have brought a 78 Ch. St. Jean TBA! That (aside from a bottle of Villa Mt. Eden Reserve which may very well be toast by now) is all I have left from that excellent vintage. Probably drank up a case of the BV Georges de Latour over the years.

[Jenise]

I still have a few '78 Cali pinots. Saving one for you, Bill!

Pat, if, you could get those wines btg in a restaurant, they'd be $100 each or more.