1978 Chateauneuf du Pape

Last Tasted 1/92 There is an interesting lesson to be learned from the tasting of two different bottlings of this fine estate's wines. The 1978 Chante Cigale, purchased when it was first released and cellared properly, is a glorious, outstanding example of Chateauneuf du Pape, with that weedy, peppery, spicy, salt water tang that certain Chateauneufs often possess. In the mouth, it is gloriously rich, full-bodied, unctuous, and amazingly, still deep in color, with no signs of amber. Fully mature and ready to drink, it is capable of lasting another decade. Several years ago I purchased several magnums of this wine in London. When I compared that wine with the bottle I had cellared since the early eighties, I was surprised that the magnum was less impressive (rating only an 86). There is less depth, the color reveals some amber at the edge, and curiously, there is much less sediment. Many estates in Chateauneuf du Pape have the lamentable tendency to bottle their wine as they sell it, often dragging out the bottling for 4-6 or more years. Was the magnum from a late-bottled batch?