The vintage

1979

Underrated red, exceptional Champagne

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The 1979 vintage, rated

Underrated red, exceptional Champagne

In 2026 a bottle from 1979 marks a 47th birthday or anniversary

The vintage

Excellent · 4/5

A big crop of good, well-balanced Bordeaux that was overshadowed by 1978 and has quietly aged very well; the best wines are still fresh and cost noticeably less than their neighbours. Champagne had an outstanding year, and the 1979 vintage bottlings are among the finest of the century. Piedmont and the Rhône were good rather than great.

What we would buy, and why

This is the value year of the decade: 1979 Bordeaux does much of what 1978 does at roughly two-thirds of the price, so the money goes further. For a celebration rather than a dinner, buy the Champagne — a 1979 from a great house is remarkable, and old Champagne wins over people who think they do not like it. With any Champagne of this age, insist on evidence of proper cellaring, a clean unstained label and a firm cork.

1979 in the world

Sony put the first Walkman on sale on 1 July 1979: no speaker, no record button, and two headphone sockets so you could listen with a friend.

Best bets for 1979

  • Château Léoville-Barton, Gruaud-Larose or Pichon-Lalande 1979 — €180–320
  • Dom Pérignon 1979 — €400–650 and still surprisingly lively
  • Krug 1979 for a landmark occasion — €700–1,100
  • Barolo 1979 from a traditional house — softer than the 1978s and better value at €150–300

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

Real people, not a chatbot

Ask a person about this year

The people who answer are the same people who check and pack the bottles. Ask for photographs, a condition report or advice on a year and you get a straight answer from the ANNO team, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 CET.