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Bordeaux 1983

Living in the shadow of the 1982 vintage can't be easy. Except that astute buyers know that in Margaux this vintage was more successful than the preceding one, and in fact was probably the greatest vintage of the decade for this particular commune.

Following on from such a successful vintage, the vines were in good condition as they entered the summer. The flowering was straightforward, and the developing fruit enjoyed the hottest July on record. August was similarly hot, but unfortunately also very humid, and this brought the problems of rot and mildew. It looked like the vintage might turn into a disaster, but with a change in the weather the outlook began to improve. September was hot and dry, with little rain, and October followed in much the same vein. The relieved vignerons took in their harvest without feeling a drop of rain - not a common occurrence.

Margaux was the main beneficiary of this vintage, but a number of chateaux from more northerly communes, particularly St Julien and Pauillac - especially the first growths and super-second property of Pichon-Lalande - also turned out very good wines. The same can be said of Graves and the right bank, but careful selection is necessary - quality is not uniform. (7/11/00)

Bordeaux 1983 - Tasting Notes

The following wines were tasted blind in February 2005. Click to locate stockists.

Chateau du Tertre (Margaux) 1983: Good maturity, pink-orange rim, fairly transparent. Earthy, organic, meaty-leathery maturity, Evolved, with sooty-seaweedy notes. Sweetly mature, but on the palate a little hard and ungiving. Falling apart a little I think; hollow midpalate, disjointed finish. Storage related? It seemed on the way up five years ago. 13/20

Chateau Larmande (St Emilion) 1983: Some density of hue here. Glorious mature colour. Sweet, ripe, warm, pepper-liquorice fruit with a floral and medicinal edge. Quite stylish. Soft, rounded palate, delicate, a little lacking in the midpalate. Tannins have all gone, but the wine is following too. Drying out. Drink up. 14/20

Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste (Pauillac) 1983: Dark, dense, with a pink-orange rim. Sweet, ripe, maturing fruit with an evolved, meaty, cinnamon nose. Full, with rounded, spicy redcurrant fruit and decent texture. A little grip here. Wood-spice notes. Sweet, graceful maturity. Ready now. Good. 16/20

Chateau Rauzan-Ségla (Margaux) 1983: Vibrant, deeply coloured, with just a little maturity on inspection. Glorious nose; open and expressive, with mature, stylish, meaty, scrubby, maturing fruit. Ripe, full, sweet palate, with grip and balance. Lovely texture. Stylish, effortless, although not with the elegance and typicity that other vintages of RS can offer. Very good though. Drinking now. 16.5/20

Chateau Pichon-Lalande (Pauillac) 1983: Mature hue. Smoky, meaty, coffee-toffee nose. Ripe, intriguing, superb. What a seductive and sexy palate; luscious plumpness, with spice and fruitcake and chocolate-smothered plums. Ripe, full, and so drinkable. This is gorgeous - it has Pichon written all over it. Should drink well for another five or six years at least. 18/20

Chateau Léoville-Poyferré (St Julien) 1983: Moderately deep hue. Reserved, stylish nose, a touch floral, with red fruit notes. Textured palate, a little creamy, although it doesn't quite have the desired body through the midpalate. Integrated tannins and good flavour though. A little length. Good, although this chateau has turned out much better wines in more recent vintages. Ready now. 16/20

Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou (St Julien) 1983: Deep, earthy, mature hue. Meaty, earthy, caramel and treacle, and burnt wood on the nose, with ripe macerated fruit. Pure and delightful, even seductive nose. Full, stylish palate. Very elegant, although not a voluptuous feel. Some really firm tannins behind the body, but it still has a warm ripe feel and good balance. I like it. Should drink well for a few years yet. 17/20

Chateau Lascombes (Margaux) 1983: A fairly pale wine. Mature, meaty nose. Balanced and lithe palate. Not big or impressive, although it develops very good flavor and texture through the midpalate. A warm, creamy, alcohol-influenced finish. Great length, but not the quality of the other wines shown here. Drink now. 15.5/20

Chateau Léoville-Las-Cases (St Julien) 1983: Good depth of colour here. Good intensity up to the rim, paling just a fraction. Mineral, elegant, stylish nose; little notes of coffee-toffee, overlaid with a somewhat organic note. Intriguing. Firm palate, with ripe tannins showing quite strongly. Great flavour and good fruit still. And superb depth. This is exuding quality in the glass and is clearly a first-growth pretender. Excellent wine, still on the way up. Drink now or watch it improve for another five years at least. 17+/20

Tasted in November 2000:

Chateau Montrose (St-Estèphe) 1983: A darker, treacle coloured wine. Black fruit on the nose, with a touch of rubber and marked, gravelly undertones. This wine is very different - probably the St-Estèphe. A slim, elegant, black fruit palate. Peppery notes, good balance, altogether a lovely wine. 17/20

Chateau Prieuré-Lichine (Margaux) 1983: A mahogany red hue, like all the wines in this flight. A ripe, raisined, macerated fruit nose, with some slightly floral, rose-petal notes. There is pleasant fruit on the palate, with very soft, integrated tannins. Good texture, balancing acidity and a soft creamy finish. Drinking very well. 16.5/20

Chateau d'Angludet (Margaux) 1983: Mahogany-red. A rich, earthy, slightly dusty nose, which immediately suggests d'Angludet. It later opens out to reveal fat, rich fruit with a touch of pencil lead. Lots of tannin on the palate, with slightly prominent acidity. Full bodied, with good fruit. This wine is lovely, and although it needs a little more time to come together completely it is drinking beautifully now. 17+/20

Chateau du Tertre (Margaux) 1983: Mahogany-red. A nose of prunes, raisins and toffee. Another wine with a floral element to the bouquet. Ripe fruit on the palate, with more toffee. Still a little tannic, particularly towards the finish, although they are well on the way towards full integration. Nice creamy texture. 17+/20

Chateau Duhart Milon (Pauillac) 1983: This wine has a slightly darker red-mahogany hue, setting it apart from the others a little. The nose is more elegant than the others, with some stony, mineral notes, and later some earthy notes. The palate is fairly big and creamy. There are good, integrated tannins, attractive fruit, and some hot spices towards the finish. Good length. 16+/20

Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste (Pauillac) 1983: A much lighter, red-amber wine. A ripe, fruit-laden nose, with aromas of toffee and roast beef. A good creamy texture on the palate, toffee and spice. Good tannins, nicely balanced. More pepper and spice on the finish. 16/20

Chateau Pichon-Lalande (Pauillac) 1983: A moderately intense mahogany-purple hue. A superb, classic, smoky, pencil lead mature claret nose that sings Pichon-Lalande. The palate is fruit-laden, with toffee notes and a superbly textured, creamy body. The tannins are integrating and there is lovely, balanced acidity. Finishes beautifully, with length. Absolutely lovely wine. 18/20

Chateau Pichon-Baron (Pauillac) 1983: Another moderately intense mahogany wine. A ripe berry fruit nose, opening up to reveal some smoky complexity. A little austere on the palate, with some unintegrated tannins and obvious acidity. Oriental spices and good fruit, with a creamy texture. Some length. 17.5+/20

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) 1983: This wine has a very dark, treacle-toffee mahogany hue. It is very backward still, but opens out to reveal some rich fruit aromas with time in the glass. It has tannins which, although softening, still dominate the palate. A little backward fruit and spice. Finishes with a show of tannins, and an amazing length that goes on and on. It has to be one of the first growths. 18.5/20

Chateau Latour (Pauillac) 1983: A moderately rich looking, purple wine. Another classic, mature claret nose. The palate has intense, rich fruit. A lovely creamy texture, with a touch of vanillin oak. A pleasant, softly tannic backbone. Superb balance, good peppery fruit on the finish. Gorgeous length. A first growth. 18.5/20