| Score: |
97 JG.
"The 1974 Mayacamas cabernet . . . is still a tad on the young side and really deserves a bit more bottle age before it reaches its apogee of peak maturity in this sized format. The brilliant nose offers up a smorgasbord of black cherries, cigar smoke, a bit of road tar, a beautifully complex base of volcanic soil tones, hints of both mint and petroleum jelly and a pungent topnote of violets. On the palate the wine is deep, pure, full-bodied and rock solid at the core, with moderate tannins, outstanding complexity and grip, perfect balance and stunning length and grip on the still vibrant and palate-staining finish. I dearly hope that the new regime at Mayacamas will take note of wines such as this brilliant 1974 and not change too much at this iconic estate!" John Gilman, View From the Cellar, Jan/Feb 2014, Issue #49 |