Owned at the time by the late Knight Michael Robbins. Though it is unclear who made the wine, all signs point to Charles Ortman, who produced the 1973 Chardonnay that Steven Spurrier chose to represent Spring Mountain Vineyard in the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting. The 1979 vintage was considered uneven with patch quality and went largely under-appreciated. A vintage report published in Decanter in 1979 describes the Cabernet qualities as 'slightly tight and austere but long-lived,' which seems to apply quite perfectly to this 1979 Spring Mountain Vineyard Cabernet. Leading with bay leaf and red currants, eucalyptus, earth, and notes of black tea and truffle. Medium-bodied and revealing a pleasant wine framed by very chalky tannins and warming red berries, backed by ample acidity. After a bit of time, there's a subtle sharpness that develops in the nose, but not unpleasant and, overall, a joy to taste and savour. Drink up and enjoy a bit of bottled history.

Brick red yielding to orange in the glass, this enticing 40-year old Napa Cab hits the nose with loads of leather, dry tobacco leaves, tar and cedar upfront before revealing nuances of anis, currant, blood orange, dry flowers and parched earth with a slight hint of eucalyptus. All these carry over to the palate where the wine lingers for a long finish that is dominated by notes of tobacco and dry fruit with gentle tannins, all kept together by a bracing acidity. Bring this wine to a dinner with other wine geeks and make it the talk of the evening, it’s perfect for a cheese course at the end of the meal.