1968 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour

The growing season was warm and sunny without temperature extremes, producing a beautifully balanced and, clearly, age-worthy wine. Medium brick-brown colored, the 1968 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve Georges de Latour bursts exuberantly from the glass with prunes, raisin cake, Chinese five spice, chocolate box, incense and tar notes plus wafts of dried roses, balsamic, candied violets, tobacco and a hint of tree bark. Full-bodied, rich, plush and seductive, the palate is stacked with tons of dried berries and exotic spice layers lifted by a bold line of freshness, finishing long with lingering notions of cloves and powdered cinnamon. There's loads of life left in pristine bottles such as this, so if you see any well-cellared bottles knocking about, snap ‘em up. Alcohol is a modest 12.5% for this vintage, and 14,260 cases were made.

Medium-deep red with a greenish-amber rim. Highly complex aromas of raspberry, cherry, mocha, dark chocolate, celery seed and balsamic cedar, with a hint of volatile acidity contributing personality and lift. This legendary wine still boasts bulletproof fruit and a compellingly juicy texture, with a sexy hint of truffle adding interest with air. A wine of great class and balance, finishing subtle, fresh, firm and very long, with sweet, fine-grained tannins. André Tchelistcheff called 1968 his greatest vintage and this wine is still going strong a half century later, with no end in sight. Its balance of sweetness and acidity is stunning. This wine was full-bodied in the early going, in contrast to the initially austere '69, according to current winemaker Trevor Durling. (12.5% alcohol)