1978 Wine and Port Vintage
Vintage Summary and Recommendations: 
Welcome to Vintage Wine and Port's 1978 wine page. Read on for our summary of the 1978 vintage, our top recommendations and region reports. Scroll down to see all of our wines currently available. If you cannot find what you are looking for please call us on 01425 837177 or Contact Us. We would love to help you with your wine choice!
In France, Bordeaux, Burgundy, Loire and the Alsace all enjoyed excellent years, producing a wide range of sophisticated wines, some of which were capable of great aging. For Sauternes, however, the year was distinctly average and, for Champagne, it was downright poor. For France, the star region was indisputably the Rhône Valley, which had a legendary year for both the north and south. Italy had a legendary vintage and Spain's was also notably good.
Our Wine Expert currently recommends the following wines for this year:
This Year in History: Fun Fact: Louise Brown, the first “test-tube baby,” was born healthy in Oldham General Hospital, UK.
Eurovision Winner: Israel with the song "A-Ba-Ni-Bi" by Izhar Cohen and the Alphabeta
Top Grossing Movie: Grease
Bordeaux: The 1978 wine vintage was excellent for the Bordeaux region. The dry, hot summer produced wines that were medium-bodied, deeply coloured, fruity and moderately tannic. The wines reached their peak of maturity in the 1990s but are still drinking well now and will continue to do so for some years to come.
Italian: 1978 was a trouble free vintage across the Tuscany region with an early spring, warm but not excessively hot summer and well distributed rainfall. There was a certain amount of rain early in the harvest but those producers who picked later benefited from a period of uninterrupted fine weather. Altogether for Tuscany this was a 4 out of 5 Vintage. Conversely, the year started with cold and damp weather in Piedmont. Spring was particularly wet with lower than average seasonal temperatures; not until the second half of June did the weather pick up, too late for the flowering, which took place in very wet conditions causing a significant reduction in the crop. After light rains at the beginning of September, the weather suddenly turned around and the rest of the month was hot and dry with a marked difference between day and nighttime temperatures. The dramatic improvement continued through until the end of the Nebbiolo harvest during the third week of October. Natural selection and a warm autumn meant a very small crop of thick-skinned Nebbiolo grapes in Barolo and Barbaresco. By the end of the season this hailed as a great, long-lived vintage with a rating of 5/5.
Portugal: 1978 was a good Port vintage, although not a declared one; the wines are not outstanding but are still attractive and drinkable. 1978 was the year when the labelling of 'single quinta' became popular. Michael Symington, Head Winemaker at Symington Family Estates (Owners of Warre's, Dow's, Cockburn's, Smith Woodhouse and Graham's among others) wrote of the 1978 vintage "Musts showed exceptional colour and body and very dark, heavy wines have certainly been made. Not a trace of mould or rot was to be seen on the grapes coming in, and seldom can a Vintage have been made from more uniformly healthy grapes."
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73 products found.
Ryst Dupeyron Armagnac, 1978
Ryst Dupeyron Reserve Joseph Millesime vintage Armagnac
50cl bottle
The 1978 Dupeyron Armagnac is the expression of a single year and has a unique character associated with the year and the cask in which it has been stored. These vintages are bottled at the alcohol level in which they naturally come out of the cask. There is a wonderful contrast between the sweet and sour flavours of wood, amplified by the strong alcoholic degree. Rich palate feeling the alcohol and the concentration of dry plums, spicy with persistent flavour of rancio and of spices, but round, soft and long in the finish. The tannins are very present, but full-bodied and round.
The Maison Ryst-Dupeyron was founded by Joseph Dupeyron in 1905. …
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Price: $115.38 USD
Stock: 2 in Stock
Burmester, 1978
Sale
Colheita Port, Douro
Presented in Gift Tube
Special Offer | Was £159 | Now £99
***94 Points- Wine Spectator***
This is a wine of exceptional quality and elegance, a Casa Burmester classic that is made from a single harvest - a "Vintage Tawny" - aged in small 550-litre oak barrels in our Vila Nova de Gaia Cellars. It is bottled, at the very least, after seven years and in accordance with demand.
This is a wine of exceptional quality and elegance. Colheita ports are made from a single harvest - a "Vintage Tawny" - aged in small oak barrels. It is bottled, at the very least, after seven years and in accordance with demand.
Learn …
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Price: $128.34 USD
Stock: 2 in Stock
J W Hart, 1978
Colheita Port, Douro
Magnum 1.5 Litre
Tasting note: With amber colour and golden hints this wine has an intense bouquet, dominated by the remarkable presence of the dried fruits with a refined touch of spices. In the mouth it is concentrated, firm and elegant. This wine of great deepness and with a noble character has an impressive and persistent finish.
Colheita Port Storage and Serving Advice:
Colheita Port should be stored in a cool and dry place, sheltered from light and temperature fluctuations, and the bottle should remain in an upright position. If stored correctly, Colheita Ports will keep for decades in the bottle. …
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Price: $191.87 USD
Stock: 13 in Stock
Kopke, 1978
Colheita Port
Decanter 2021 Silver Award Winner
Comes in Original Gift Box
***94 Points- Mark Squires, eRobertParker.com 23 March 2016***
Review:
The 1978 Kopke Colheita Tawny Port was bottled in 2015 with 119 grams per litre of residual sugar and a bar top cork (typical for the house). It is very graceful for its age, finishing with a wave of sweetness, fruit and sugar. Emphasizing the caramel more than the molasses, this is irresistibly delicious, but it becomes more complex and puts on weight as it airs and warms. The wine shows off its power and hints of Brandy on the rather tense finish, too. Overall, this is a beauty that becomes more impressive the longer you sit with it. …
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Price: $193.17 USD
Stock: 10 in Stock
Barbaresco, 1978
Cantine del Glicine - Vigna del Cura
Barbaresco is one of the great wines of Italy's north-western Piedmont region. This aristocratic red has its vineyards situated in the Langhe, on the right-hand side of the Tanaro river and extending from the area north-east of Alba to the communes of Barbaresco, Nieve and Treiso. The dominant variety grown is Nebbiolo, but Dolcetto and Barbera also play a part. The vines are generally grown on limestone-rich marl soils. similar to the Tortonium soils of the Barolo and La Morra areas in Barolo. Similar to its more famous sibling Barolo, Barbaresco is made from 100% Nebbiolo and shares its cult status as one of the finest wines in the world. …
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Price: $180.20 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barbaresco, 1978
Giordano
Barbaresco is one of the great wines of Italy's north-western Piedmont region. This aristocratic red has its vineyards situated in the Langhe, on the right-hand side of the Tanaro river and extending from the area north-east of Alba to the communes of Barbaresco, Neive and Treiso. The dominant variety grown is Nebbiolo, but Dolcetto and Barbera also play a part. The vines are generally grown on limestone-rich marl soils. similar to the Tortonium soils of the Barolo and La Morra areas in Barolo. Similar to its more famous sibling Barolo, Barbaresco is made from 100% Nebbiolo and shares its cult status as one of the finest wines in the world. …
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Price: $193.17 USD
Stock: 6 in Stock
Barbaresco, 1978
Giovanni Lodali - Vigneto Rocche dei Zeratelli
Barbaresco is one of the great wines of Italy's north-western Piedmont region. This aristocratic red has its vineyards situated in the Langhe, on the right-hand side of the Tanaro river and extending from the area north-east of Alba to the communes of Barbaresco, Nieve and Treiso. The dominant variety grown is Nebbiolo, but Dolcetto and Barbera also play a part. The vines are generally grown on limestone-rich marl soils. similar to the Tortonium soils of the Barolo and La Morra areas in Barolo. Similar to its more famous sibling Barolo, Barbaresco is made from 100% Nebbiolo and shares its cult status as one of the finest wines in the world. …
more >>>
Price: $296.88 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barbaresco, 1978
Prunotto - S.Cassiano
Barbaresco is one of the great wines of Italy's north-western Piedmont region. This aristocratic red has its vineyards situated in the Langhe, on the right-hand side of the Tanaro river and extending from the area north-east of Alba to the communes of Barbaresco, Nieve and Treiso. The dominant variety grown is Nebbiolo, but Dolcetto and Barbera also play a part. The vines are generally grown on limestone-rich marl soils. similar to the Tortonium soils of the Barolo and La Morra areas in Barolo. Similar to its more famous sibling Barolo, Barbaresco is made from 100% Nebbiolo and shares its cult status as one of the finest wines in the world. …
more >>>
Price: $180.20 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Bardolino, 1978
Bolla
The Bardolino wine is obtained mainly from the grapes of Corvina Veronese, Rondinella and possibly with the addition of other grapes minors. It has a brilliant ruby red colour. It is delicately fruity, with hints of cherry, cherry, strawberry, raspberry, currant and spices (cinnamon, clove, black pepper). It has a great drinkability and an extraordinary ability to match the food.
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Price: $102.42 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barolo, 1978
Bersano - Riserva, Piedmont
Barolo is known as the 'king of wines' and is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Heady aromas of rose, leather, vanilla, cherry, pepper, cranberry, strawberry. Fruits are perfectly knitted with the tannins and acidity. It's a powerful wine but remarkably subtle. Don't underestimate it and certainly serve it with food to show at it's best. Nebbiolo has naturally high tannins and acidity, so it will take on full-flavoured, rich foods no problem at all.
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Price: $167.24 USD
Stock: 2 in Stock
Barolo, 1978
G. Parola, Piedmont
Barolo is known as the 'king of wines' and is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Heady aromas of rose, leather, vanilla, cherry, pepper, cranberry, strawberry. Fruits are perfectly knitted with the tannins and acidity. It's a powerful wine but remarkably subtle. Don't underestimate it and certainly serve it with food to show at it's best. Nebbiolo has naturally high tannins and acidity, so it will take on full-flavoured, rich foods no problem at all.
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Price: $219.09 USD
Stock: 2 in Stock
Barolo, 1978
Giorgio Carnevale, Piedmont
Barolo is known as the 'king of wines' and is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Heady aromas of rose, leather, vanilla, cherry, pepper, cranberry, strawberry. Fruits are perfectly knitted with the tannins and acidity. It's a powerful wine but remarkably subtle. Don't underestimate it and certainly serve it with food to show at it's best. Nebbiolo has naturally high tannins and acidity, so it will take on full-flavoured, rich foods no problem at all.
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Price: $219.09 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barolo, 1978
Giacomo Damilano, Barolo, Piedmont
Barolo is known as the 'king of wines' and is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Heady aromas of rose, leather, vanilla, cherry, pepper, cranberry, strawberry. Fruits are perfectly knitted with the tannins and acidity. It's a powerful wine but remarkably subtle. Don't underestimate it and certainly serve it with food to show at it's best. Nebbiolo has naturally high tannins and acidity, so it will take on full-flavoured, rich foods no problem at all.
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Price: $219.09 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barolo, 1978
Francesco Pittatore - Ponte Rocca, Barolo, Piedmont
Barolo is known as the 'king of wines' and is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Heady aromas of rose, leather, vanilla, cherry, pepper, cranberry, strawberry. Fruits are perfectly knitted with the tannins and acidity. It's a powerful wine but remarkably subtle. Don't underestimate it and certainly serve it with food to show at it's best. Nebbiolo has naturally high tannins and acidity, so it will take on full-flavoured, rich foods no problem at all.
more >>>
Price: $219.09 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barolo, 1978
Giordano, Piedmont
Barolo is known as the 'king of wines' and is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Heady aromas of rose, leather, vanilla, cherry, pepper, cranberry, strawberry. Fruits are perfectly knitted with the tannins and acidity. It's a powerful wine but remarkably subtle. Don't underestimate it and certainly serve it with food to show at it's best. Nebbiolo has naturally high tannins and acidity, so it will take on full-flavoured, rich foods no problem at all.
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Price: $206.13 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barolo, 1978
Giovanni Lodali e Figlio - Vigneto Bric Sant'Ambrogio, Barolo, Piedmont
Barolo is known as the 'king of wines' and is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Heady aromas of rose, leather, vanilla, cherry, pepper, cranberry, strawberry. Fruits are perfectly knitted with the tannins and acidity. It's a powerful wine but remarkably subtle. Don't underestimate it and certainly serve it with food to show at it's best. Nebbiolo has naturally high tannins and acidity, so it will take on full-flavoured, rich foods no problem at all.
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Price: $309.84 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barolo, 1978
Scarpa - I Boschetti, Barolo, Piedmont
Barolo is known as the 'king of wines' and is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Heady aromas of rose, leather, vanilla, cherry, pepper, cranberry, strawberry. Fruits are perfectly knitted with the tannins and acidity. It's a powerful wine but remarkably subtle. Don't underestimate it and certainly serve it with food to show at it's best. Nebbiolo has naturally high tannins and acidity, so it will take on full-flavoured, rich foods no problem at all.
more >>>
Price: $283.91 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barolo, 1978
Bersano, Piedmont
Barolo is known as the 'king of wines' and is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Heady aromas of rose, leather, vanilla, cherry, pepper, cranberry, strawberry. Fruits are perfectly knitted with the tannins and acidity. It's a powerful wine but remarkably subtle. Don't underestimate it and certainly serve it with food to show at it's best. Nebbiolo has naturally high tannins and acidity, so it will take on full-flavoured, rich foods no problem at all.
more >>>
Price: $193.17 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barolo, 1978
Bersano
Barolo is known as the 'king of wines' and is made from the Nebbiolo grape. Heady aromas of rose, leather, vanilla, cherry, pepper, cranberry, strawberry. Fruits are perfectly knitted with the tannins and acidity. It's a powerful wine but remarkably subtle. Don't underestimate it and certainly serve it with food to show at it's best. Nebbiolo has naturally high tannins and acidity, so it will take on full-flavoured, rich foods no problem at all.
more >>>
Price: $206.13 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Blandys, 1978
Vintage Terrantez Madeira
***97 points- Decanter- Best in Show- 2023***
1978 Blandy's Terrantez
Tasting Notes
Colour . Mahogany with golden-green hue Aroma . Very characteristic bouquet, exuberant aroma with notes of exotic spice, camphor, varnishes, cedar, tobacco leaf. Mouth . Also very characteristic with a sweet attack, becoming very ethereal giving the sensation of spicy and dry, leaving a very long, fresh and dry aftertaste with spicy notes such as curry, saffron and burnt resinous woods.
About Blandy's 1978 Terrantez
An exceptionally rare medium rich single vintage Madeira aged for 44 years in 650cl casks at the Blandy’s lodge in Funchal. …
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Price: $348.73 USD
Stock: 20 in Stock
Blandys, 1978
Vintage Terrantez Madeira
37.5cl Bottle
***97 points- Best in Show- 2023***
1978 Blandy's Terrantez
Tasting Notes
Colour . Mahogany with golden-green hue Aroma . Very characteristic bouquet, exuberant aroma with notes of exotic spice, camphor, varnishes, cedar, tobacco leaf. Mouth . Also very characteristic with a sweet attack, becoming very ethereal giving the sensation of spicy and dry, leaving a very long, fresh and dry aftertaste with spicy notes such as curry, saffron and burnt resinous woods.
About Blandy's 1978 Terrantez
An exceptionally rare medium rich single vintage Madeira aged for 44 years in 650cl casks at the Blandy’s lodge in Funchal. …
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Price: $206.13 USD
Stock: 12 in Stock
Blandys, 1978
Vintage Terrantez Madeira
150cl Magnum Bottle
***97 points- Best in Show-DWWA 2023***
1978 Blandy's Terrantez
Tasting Notes
Colour . Mahogany with golden-green hue Aroma . Very characteristic bouquet, exuberant aroma with notes of exotic spice, camphor, varnishes, cedar, tobacco leaf. Mouth . Also very characteristic with a sweet attack, becoming very ethereal giving the sensation of spicy and dry, leaving a very long, fresh and dry aftertaste with spicy notes such as curry, saffron and burnt resinous woods.
About Blandy's 1978 Terrantez
An exceptionally rare medium rich single vintage Madeira aged for 44 years in 650cl casks at the Blandy’s lodge in Funchal. …
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Price: $680.62 USD
Stock: 2 in Stock
Blauburgunder, 1978
Stiftkellerei Neustift
Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
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Price: $89.45 USD
Stock: 1 in Stock
Bordeaux, 1978
Chateau Prince Larquey
Bordeaux, in the south-west of France, needs little introduction to anyone with an interest in wine. One of the world's most prolific wine regions, it also manages to rank among the most famous and prestigious. The secrets of Bordeaux's wine success (other than magical Bordeaux Blend) are its three trump cards: diversity, quality and quantity. The majority of Bordeaux wines are the dry, medium-bodied reds that made the region famous.
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Price: $89.45 USD
Stock: 11 in Stock
Bordeaux, 1978
Chateau Balan
Bordeaux, in the south-west of France, needs little introduction to anyone with an interest in wine. One of the world's most prolific wine regions, it also manages to rank among the most famous and prestigious. The secrets of Bordeaux's wine success (other than magical Bordeaux Blend) are its three trump cards: diversity, quality and quantity. The majority of Bordeaux wines are the dry, medium-bodied reds that made the region famous.
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Price: $89.45 USD
Stock: 11 in Stock