DRC la Tâche 1978 75cl

The 1978 La Tâche Grand Cru is admittedly a wine that I have always wanted to taste, just the stratospheric price tag prohibiting me from doing so...until now, thanks to the generosity of my host rather than me winning the lottery. My expectations were understandably sky high given the reputation, but I was not disappointed because it lived up to everything I hoped for. Mature in color with wide bricking on the rim, the nose is utterly bewitching with fragrant scents of orange peel, iron piping, damp undergrowth, wild mushroom and a hint of dried blood. It felt intense yet beautifully defined. The palate felt fully mature after 38 years, the tannins completely melted. While there is not the weight of the 1978 Romanée-Conti, there is a sense of presence and grandeur imbued by this La Tâche. The balance is perfect, the symmetry beguiling, and it gently fans out on the pure, caressing finish. It offers everything you could wish from a mature Pinot Noir, a hauntingly beautiful wine that I shall remember for a very long time. Tasted September 2016.

Good color. Stunning, seductive bouquet delivers pungent sweet cherry, forest floor, truffle and Asian spices. It saturates the palate with flavors, shows great extract yet remains elegant, ending in a long, intense finish.--La Tâche non-blind vertical. Drink now through 2040. –BS