For over a decade I have questioned which is the better vintage of Belair, the forward soft yet powerful 1983 or the more structured, exotic 1982. I am still not sure. Certainly the 1982 has emerged from its "ugly duckling" stage... Read More
An outstanding, dark ruby/purple-hued effort with little lightening at the edge, the 1982 Canon exhibits plenty of crushed rock, red and black currant, and dusty, earthy, loamy notes. It is a full-bodied, powerful, slightly austere... Read More
Consistently scoring between 98-100, the superb 1982 Margaux may be slightly bigger, bolder, and more masculine than vintages produced over the last 15-20 years. Its dark plum/purple color is followed by notes of melted tar intermixed... Read More
This 1982 is still displaying a beautiful deep ruby/purple hue as well as a stunning set of aromatics consisting of blue and black fruits, loamy earth, flowers, licorice, and spice box. The wine is medium to full-bodied with sweet... Read More
At a charity dinner in Charleston, SC, the 1982 Ducru Beaucaillou from my cellar was the only corked bottle out of twenty-two. A subsequent tasting revealed one of the all-time great Ducrus, probably matched or eclipsed by several... Read More
The fully mature 1982 offers a profoundly complex nose of cedar, smoky tobacco/cigar box, dried herbs, black currants, licorice, and spice. In the mouth, the wine does not reveal the huge volume and roasted ripeness found in many... Read More
A massive wine that is clearly of first-growth quality in this vintage, the 1982 Gruaud Larose remains a youngster. A broodingly dense, thick, unctuously textured, inky/plum/garnet/purple color offers up scents of beef blood,... Read More
This is a racy, well-integrated wine; always an outstanding bottle. Dark ruby-colored with a garnet hue. Bubbling over with fresh berry, cherry and currant aromas. Full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a long silky finish.... Read More
I know Jean Delmas, whom I respect as one of the world's greatest wine producers, has always thought the 1982 Haut Brion was similar to the 1959, but I have yet to see that. It seems to me the 1989 is closer to the 1959, another... Read More
The best showing yet for this wine (admittedly it was from a double magnum, not a regular bottle), l'Arrosee's 1982 exhibited a deep ruby color with some lightening at the edge. Spectacular aromas of minerals, smoke, kirsch... Read More
The successful 1982 La Croix is slightly less alcoholic than the big, massive 1983, but dark ruby, with layers of ripe, rich fruit, soft tannins, and an impressively long, spicy finish. Anticipated maturity: Now-2000. Last tasted,... Read More
Good red-ruby color. Expressive, slightly funky, Burgundian aromas of red raspberry, redcurrant, cherry, smoked meat, coffee and earth. At once dense and penetrating; rich but uncompromisingly dry, with lovely clarity of flavor.... Read More
A monumental wine, this historic La Mission-Haut-Brion was the last vintage made by the descendants of the Woltner family, who had owned this estate for decades prior to selling it to their neighbors, the Dillon family (the American... Read More
Today, the fruit from this vineyard has been incorporated into the second wine of La Mission-Haut-Brion, so I hope readers do not forget how great many vintages of La Tour-Haut-Brion were. The superb 1982 ranks alongside their... Read More
Always somewhat atypical (which I suspect will be the case with the more modern day 2003), the 1982 Latour has been the most opulent, flamboyant, and precocious of the northern Medocs, especially the St.-Juliens, Pauillacs, and... Read More
mmensely impressive for its size, strength, and structure, this 1982 requires another 5-10 years of cellaring. It is unquestionably one of the most concentrated wines of the Medoc, and it should last another 30-40 years. Anticipated... Read More
I have had perfect bottles of this cuvee, but, perplexingly, the bottles from my cellar tend to be broodingly backward and require plenty of coaxing. This huge wine is, in many ways, just as massive as Leoville Barton, but it... Read More
There is no question that Leoville Poyferre was not making wines at the level of quality they have since 1990. That said, the 1982 is a great wine, no doubt because of the vintage rather than the winemaking at that time. A brilliant... Read More