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Bordeaux 1982: Tasting, May 2004
As noted in my review of the vintage, 1982 was an exceptional year for the region. On tasting the wines now, two decades on, it seems clear to me that the wines reflect this. This tasting was a small one, looking at just a dozen or so wines, and thus it was too small to make any definitive judgement of my own. Nevertheless, it showed that many of the left bank wines have matured admirably, and are giving plenty of pleasure. They are just a couple of years into their third decade, and yet it seems in a number of cases tat they still have much more to give. Meanwhile, wines from the right bank that would now be dead in lesser vintages are drinking beautifully, as illustrated in by previous tasting.
The tasting notes below are from a blind assessment, and are presented as written at the time. Two wines not included below are Potensac and Rauzan-Gassies, both of which were found to be corked. (18/5/04)
Bordeaux 1982 - Tasting Notes
Tasted in May 2004. Click
to locate stockists.
Chateau Patache d'Aux (Médoc) 1982: A good depth of colour. Mature fruit on the
nose, a touch meaty, dark and dense. Medium body and nice balance on the palate.
Good weight and texture too. Mature, slightly woody nuances. Drying out on
midpalate and finish, and a little disjointed here too. It has lasted well
though. Drink up. 15/20
Chateau Cantemerle (Haut-Médoc)
1982: A lovely colour with moderate depth. Wonderful
aromatics alongside plentiful aromatics on the nose. full and richly textured on
the palate, but with a firm touch of grip. Some tannins still present on the
midpalate, and it still seems a little austere, with a firm finish. Plenty of
texture though. 17+/20
Chateau Beau-Site (St Estèphe) 1982: A cru bourgeois property. A dark
core, fading to a pink-orange rim. Lovely, open and expressive nose. A sweet,
elegant palate, although with some power. Deliciously silky texture, with a soft
and seductive appeal. Notes of dark bitter chocolate on the flavour profile.
Ready now. 17.5/20
Chateau Branaire-Ducru (St
Julien) 1982:
A good depth of colour. Powerful nose
of mature fruit. A full, sweet, powerful palate, still with some spicy tannins.
It has balance too. Firmly put together but rounded and approachable. Clean
finish. 17/20
Chateau Saint-Pierre (St Julien)
1982: Not quite an opaque wine, but certainly deeply coloured. A surprise on
the nose, which offers aromas of coffee and mocha alongside the mature fruit. A
metallic edge. Full, tannic, austere palate. Lovely extract and a good texture.
A better showing than my last tasting four years ago. 17/20
Chateau Labégorce-Zédé (Margaux) 1982: A cru bourgeois property. A dark,
brown/tawny edge to a deep red hue. Good mature fruit on the nose. The palate is
full and rich, with a firm, spicy edge. Good strong acidity. A bit tarry. Tannins
well integrated. Good finish with some length. Certainly ready now. 16.5/20
Chateau Prieuré-Lichine
(Margaux) 1982: A very dark, deep red wine with a pale
pink rim but good concentration of colour close to the meniscus. Masses of
sweet, ripe fruit on the nose, with a touch of toffee. There's plenty of
character here. Great power is immediately apparent on the palate, with mature,
classically styled stony-gravelly fruit. Most impressive is the silky texture,
and beautiful balance. What a pleasure to drink. 18/20
Chateau d'Angludet (Margaux) 1982: A very dark tawny colour, with a deep red
tinge. A lovely nose, typical of the commune, stony but also floral. Full, firm,
and a touch of austerity here. Still quite a bit of tannin. Good fruit as well though.
Seems a little angular and disjointed. Not a brilliant showing, but certainly
quite drinkable. 16/20
Chateau Desmirail (Margaux) 1982: A moderate depth of colour, a red-tawny hue
with a pale rim. Great nose - full of roasted, meaty aromas, and packed full of
similar flavours on the palate. Still firm, almost austere in fact, although the
meaty fruit and lovely balance make it quite approachable now. 17+/20
