In 1978 the Borie family — already owners of Ducru-Beaucaillou in Saint-Julien — bought Grand-Puy-Lacoste from Raymond Dupin, who had run it since the 1930s and drunk a fair amount of it himself. This 1979 is among the first vintages made under the new ownership, at the beginning of the long revival that turned the estate into one of the most reliable buys in Pauillac.
The vineyard lies inland on a gravel rise behind Bages, planted heavily to Cabernet Sauvignon. The wine has never been flashy. It is the sort of Pauillac that tastes of blackcurrant and cedar and traditionally needed twenty years before it said much of anything.
It has now had forty-seven. Bottles of this vintage that stayed in one cold cellar the whole time are still capable of showing properly, and this comes from exactly that kind of stock.
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Producer: Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste
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Vintage: 1979
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Appellation: Pauillac AOC
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Format: 75cl
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Region: Bordeaux, France
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Style: Red
Where it is likely to be now. Grand-Puy-Lacoste has a good record for longevity and a well-stored 1979 should still be sound, but it is fully mature and there is nothing left to gain by waiting.
Who it suits. A good fit for someone turning 47 in 2026 who actually drinks Bordeaux, since this is a wine with a reputation among people who buy claret to open rather than to trade.
Condition. Graded good by the merchant, meaning the label is legible, the capsule intact and the fill normal for the vintage; we verify all three before the bottle is dispatched.
Provenance. Bought to order from a professional European merchant. We check fill, label and capsule when the bottle reaches us and photograph it before it ships.
Delivered in 7 to 10 working days, tracked. Transit cover can be added at checkout.
Sold as a collectible item, as seen. No guarantee is given on drinkability.
