The bottle of Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon 1974 was stored properly
since release and had a good fill and cork. I have been drinking form
a case over the years, and only 2 bottles remain. This wine has always
been quite good with little bottle variation. It now is fully mature,
but will likely keep at least a few more years. The color is still
deep with only a little evidence of age around the rim. It is now
smooth and easy to drink, the harshness of youth being gone. The
bouquet and taste are mainly very intense cassis with hints of other
dark fruits and spices. It is now one of the better California CSs of
the 1970s era. It does not have the power of some, but it also does
not have the excessive oak and alcohol that many monsters from the
1970s have.