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94 JG. "I cannot recall the 1979 Martha’s Vineyard having a great reputation- which is perfectly understandable, given that it came hard on the heels of the celestial 1978, which is surely one of the greatest vintages of Martha’s Vineyard ever produced- but this is a great wine and one of the great “sleeper” vintages from the decade of the 1970s. The deep, complex and utterly classic nose soars from the glass in a fully mature mélange of red and black cherries, cigar smoke, a touch of petroleum jelly, a beautiful base of Martha’s soil, fresh herbs, nutty overtones and just a touch of cedary wood. On the palate the wine is deep, pure and full-bodied, with lovely plushness on the attack, a sappy core of fruit, a fine signature of soil, melting tannins and absolutely stunning length and grip on the classic finish. A beautiful, beautiful vintage of Martha’s Vineyard and one of my absolute favorites for current drinking." John Gilman, View From the Cellar, May/Jun 2011, Issue #33 |