The wine is Mount Veeder Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 1976, Mt. Veeder
- Napa County - Bernstein Vineyards, 13% alcohol. I only had this one bottle bought shortly after release and it was stored properly. Fill was low neck, and there were no cork or other issues.
The color is still quite dark with only a little age showing around the rim. If tasted blind, I likely would have thought the color was apt for a wine about 15 years old rather than nearing 35 years. The wine of course is mature, but it could last many more years. Dark fruits including cassis and blackberry are quite apparent in bouquet and taste and are still intense but are by no means of the fruit bomb style. There is considerable cedar character also. There are still tannins, but they are of a medium type and are not harsh. Acid is in good balance. The alcohol is not excessive, and the wine now is smooth without the bite of high alcohol and hard tannins that were often found in California CS from the 1970s. This was one of the best CSs from the 70's that I have had recently.