1976

What we would buy, and why

Buy something sweet. The German 1976s and the Sauternes are the wines that justify this year, and both are far more durable than a fifty-year-old claret. If you want Bordeaux for sentimental reasons, choose a first growth or a top Graves and accept that it will be soft and mature rather than grand.

1976 in the world

The summer of 1976 was the hottest Britain had recorded: reservoirs emptied, standpipes appeared in the street, and the government appointed a Minister for Drought — after which it rained for weeks.

Best bets for 1976

• A 1976 Riesling Auslese from J. J. Prüm, Maximin Grünhaus or Schloss Johannisberg — €150–350
• Château Rieussec or Château Coutet 1976 — about €150–280
• Château d'Yquem 1976 — one of the celebrated Yquems, €500–800
• A 1976 German Beerenauslese in a half bottle if you want something small and remarkable

How we grade a bottle

Fill level, label, capsule and cork, then provenance. Every bottle is checked by hand by people who have handled thousands of old bottles, and we write down the flaws as well as the good news. What the fill levels mean · How to choose a birth-year wine