Tasted at the Academie du Vin from ex-château bottles, the 1976 Haut Brion is actually a vintage that I have never tasted before. Clearly has seen better days. That said, the bouquet has held up well with cocoa-tinged dark fruit, terracotta and dried blood. It feels a little diffuse, but it still rings of Haut Brion, though with nowhere near the quality or panache of its finest vintages. The palate has fared less well: rustic, light, rather meaty and stocky with a foursquare, dry finish that's all bones, not flesh. If you do insist on a 1970s Haut-Brion, I would advise picking the superlative 1978. Drink soon.

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