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Grape Expectations: Burgundy 1978 Retrospective

BY NEAL MARTIN | APRIL 23, 2025

I love the smell of ‘78 Burgundy in the morning. Actually, morning, noon or night. Any time is good for me.

I take a deep breath. Fill my lungs. Someone hands me a crib sheet, and I examine this morning’s order of play and…Jesus, Mary and Joseph…

“Have you seen this list of fermented grape juice?” I quietly ask a fellow attendee. Is someone playing a joke? My eyes bulge like a cartoon character as I look down the veritable who’s who of the Côte d’Or and then at the long table where those same wines are lined up in two parallel rows.

This informal and friendly tasting took place at the late Becky Wasserman's home in Bouillard, France.

Rousseau Chambertin…check.

DRC…check. Twice.

Clos des Ducs, de Vogüé Musigny, Roumier Bonnes-Mares, La Romanée, the Ruchottes from Mugneret-Gibourg, Dujac and…OMG…is that real? Cros-Parantoux from Henri Jayer. That’s a holy grail. Thinking about it, it’s probably more expensive than the actual Holy Grail. Bottles sell for north of £20,000 these days. On the other hand, drinking Jayer does not guarantee eternal youth, just eternal bragging rights.

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It was a privilege to attend this 1978 horizontal—however, there is always a risk when broaching old bottles, especially Pinot Noir from an era besmirched by swings in quality. Fortunately, scattered among the disappointments is a clutch of bottles that sparkle like rubies in the sand.

Show all the wines (sorted by score)

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