The 1974 appeared to be fully mature by age 10. Since that time, it has revealed frightening bottle variation - ranging from young, relatively opulent, rich examples, to others that were prematurely losing their fruit and fading badly. At this tasting, it appeared to juxtapose its best and worst elements. The wine's color revealed amber at the edge, a roasted, herbal, sweet, spicy nose, loosely-knit, jammy fruit, and some hot alcohol in the finish. Readers who own the 1974 are advised to drink it up.