Sampling the ‘75s
Veritas is particularly pleased to be able to offer a rich selection
of this once-again highly prized vintage. These 1975 clarets
are now at their pinnacle of maturity and represent great
value as well as singular excellence.

Château Latour
The consensus Médoc of the vintage is Château Latour. As Robert Parker writes, awarding the wine a “93+”: “Cream always comes to the top, and so it is with Latour.” Clive Coates weighs in with a “19.5”: “Full, rich, concentrated, good backbone. Real breed. Not a bit dry or unduly tannic. Very long. Very fine.”

Château Lafite-Rothschild
Parker contends that the 1975 Lafite is clearly superior to the ’70, ’66, or ’61, and awards the wine a “92”. Penning-Rowsell concurs that the Lafite is among the wines of the vintage, especially noting the “very fine perfumed nose and good balance.”

Château Mouton-Rothschild
In a manner that typifies the vintage, the 1975 Mouton has long been singled out for criticism. Representative, however, of the new respect being accorded the vintage, Parker reassessed his opinion and awarded a “91” in 1996: “In the blind tasting… this wine finally began to reveal some potential. It has been closed and frightfully tannic for the last decade… It is beginning to throw off its cloak of tannin and exhibit more complexity and balance…The wine exhibits a dark ruby/garnet color, a sweet nose of cedar, chocolate, cassis, and spices, ripe fruit and extraction, and a weighty, large-scaled, tannic finish.”

Château Haut-Brion
Again, typical of the reappraisal of the vintage, Robert Parker has recently confessed error over this wine, and raised its score to “93”. He now waxes most enthusiastic: “Blame me for completely misjudging this wine… The wine has developed the hauntingly complex, tobacco, roasted herb, singed leather, smoky, sweat, fruity nose of a great Haut-Brion. Full-bodied and intense, with noticeable ripe tannin, this is a wine of considerable richness and intensity… Impressive!”

Château Léoville-Las-Cases
Consistently among the top second-growths, but particularly distinguished in this vintage. Favored by David Peppercorn, immediately after Latour, Lafite and Mouton. Awarding a “92+”, Robert Parker agrees: “This is one of the great successes of the vintage… There are sensational levels of richness and intensity.”

Château Lynch-Bages
Although Lynch-Bages didn’t really come into its own until the stewardship of Jean-Michel Cazes, the 1975 clearly displays the power and charm of the terroir. A favorite of the vintage by Clive Coates, who awards the wine a “17”: “This has richness, fatness and a good element of old-vine concentration.
I find it very seductive. Good grip. Stylish. Very good indeed.”

Château Ducru-Beaucaillou
The 1975 vintage seems to have been most successful in the Médoc in the communes of Pauillac and St.-Julien. Always among the most distinguished wines in St.-Julien, Ducru is renowned for its elegance, class and balance, but is notoriously slow to mature. The 1975 Ducru is considered by Penning-Rowsell to be particularly outstanding, even better than the Las Cases. Giving the wine a “17”, Clive Coates concludes: “A typical 1975, but in the best sense, with richness, concentration and breed under the structure.”

Château Gruaud-Larose
Another fine St. -Julien of the vintage. Rated “89” by the Wine Spectator and “89+?” by Robert Parker, the wine is finally shedding its tannic shell with its fruit compellingly intact.
The charm and character of the vineyard are now shining through brightly.

Château Branaire-Ducru
According to Robert Parker, “Branaire-Ducru has consistently been one of the finest 1975’s.” In addition to earning one of Parker’s best scores of the vintage, a “91”, the wine offers a great ratio of quality to value.

Château Montrose
Notoriously slow to develop in even the most forward years (1990 is a notable exception), Montrose has consistently been one of the most backward wines of this Rip Van Winkle vintage. It is finally beginning to display the “four star” quality forecast by Michael Broadbent: “Loaded with all of the major component parts. Solid, delicious…classic, cool as a sea breeze, considerable depth and latent fruit.”

Château Petit-Village
There was never any real question about the quality in Pomerol since merlot is an inherently less tannic a varietal. The 1975 Pétrus has, together with 1982, always been the favorite of Christian Moueix. The 1975 Petit-Village was produced under the tutelage of Bruno Prats, before the sale to Jean-Michel Cazes’ AXA group. It offers the rich, concentrated, and voluptuous fruit so characteristic of Pomerol.