The Class of 1972 is still going strong! Fifty years ago, some of California’s most important wineries were founded. Recently, six of these Napa & Sonoma trailblazers gathered for a surreal tasting, organized by Jordan winery, at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, in St. Helena, California.
Chateau Montelena, Jordan, Burgess, Diamond Creek, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, and Dry Creek Vineyard each shared a selection of three wines, including some impressive library vintages.
Stag’s Leap took the assignment to heart and dazzled the group of professional wine tasters with a 1972 S.L.V Cabernet Sauvignon that displayed impressive vitality and grace at 50. (You may recall that 1973 Stag’s Leap Cabernet Sauvignon won the Judgement of Paris in 1976, the legendary tasting that showed the world that California was a premier wine region.)
Chateau Montelena’s 1973 Chardonnay won the Judgement of Paris tasting in the white wine category. And the 2002 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon they poured at the Class of 1972 tasting made a strong case for their prowess with red.
Jordan knocked it out of the park with a 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon, Burgess charmed the group with a 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon, and Diamond Creek shined bright with their 1993 Red Rock Terrace Cabernet Sauvignon. And Dry Creek Vineyard turned heads with their 1994 Fumé Blanc, a complex and elegant expression of Sauvignon Blanc.
Each of these wineries has a different winemaking style and terroir, but there are some shared perspectives. Being good stewards of the land, crafting wines that are an expression of terroir, and making wines that can stand the taste of time, are guiding principles that have allowed each winery to innovate, remain authentic, and navigate the changing landscape of consumer preferences.
Now elders and not rookies, the Class of 1972 has proven themselves, but they’re not just coasting along; they embrace the challenge of stepping up to the plate each vintage. That’s a wise approach to wine and life!
