Needed a moment to come alive but that’s to be expected after 45 years in a bottle. Some initial funk gave way to creosote, dark plum, leather, earth. Leveled off nicely revealing some tart cherry, subtle wood notes, forest floor with a medium finish. Very old school, austere Bordeaux drinking very nicely.

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The 1978 Las Cases has taken on a garnet hue with some dark ruby tints. The nose is more complex and penetrating than the flavors. The wine offers classic, mineral, lead pencil, smoky, earthy scents, with plenty of ripe fruit, and none of the vegetal herbaceousness that many 1978s have begun to exhibit. The attack offers good ripeness, medium to full body, higher acidity than many more recent vintages, and considerable tannin in the hard finish. Although this wine possesses outstanding complexity, the high tannin level may never fully melt away. While it will last another 15-20 years, the 1978 is at its apogee and will slowly dry out over the next two decades.

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