Our Provenance Guarantee
Purchase with confidence. All of our wines are selectively sourced and thoroughly inspected for authenticity and signs of poor storage. Accepted bottles are preserved in our climate-controlled cellar until they reach your doorstep. We have no storefront and no walk-in traffic, so nothing is moved or handled between inspection and shipping.
The bottle you see photographed is the bottle you receive (or fundamentally identical when multiple bottles are listed), and our commitment to you is that it arrives as represented. If it doesn’t, we want to hear from you.
Ratings & Tasting Notes:
None Found.
Cult Wines International Notes:
The 1978 Ridge Vineyards York Creek Cabernet Sauvignon hails from a “comeback” year for California, following the severe drought of 1976 and 1977. This vintage is widely regarded as one of the most successful of the decade, benefiting from a wet spring that replenished the soils, followed by a long, warm growing season and a frantic heatwave just before harvest. These conditions allowed Paul Draper to craft a “large-scale” wine that combined the ripeness of the warm year with the natural, structural intensity of the Spring Mountain site. The 1978 blend is particularly notable for its inclusion of approximately 5% Merlot (a slightly higher percentage than some previous years), which added a layer of plushness to the mountain-grown fruit.
Decades later, the 1978 York Creek is often described as a “wow” bottle that has aged with more vigor and sweetness than the leaner 1976. It presents a rich profile of smoky cedar, graphite, and leather, with a core of fruit that remains remarkably lively—showing notes of dried cherries, red plums, and a cooling hint of mint. On the palate, the tannins are utterly resolved and velvety, yet the wine maintains its presence through a medium-to-full body and a savory, persistent finish. For many enthusiasts, this vintage represents a perfect intersection of California’s historic sunshine and the refined, claret-like balance that made Ridge a global benchmark for Napa Cabernet.
Bottle Size:
750 mL
Storage History:
Always stored on its side in a climate-controlled cellar.
Condition:
Please note: The bottle shown is the exact bottle being sold.
Outstanding condition.
