Few vintages in Bordeaux command the reverence—and myth—of 1982. It is a year that reshaped reputations, elevated collectors’ expectations, and forever altered how Bordeaux wines were perceived globally. For many enthusiasts, 1982 is not simply a great vintage; it is a landmark moment when tradition met modernity and the world took notice.
At a recent Musings on the Vine tasting, a remarkable lineup of wines brought this historic year into focus, offering a rare opportunity to explore how both classified growths and lesser‑known estates expressed the magic of the season.
Why 1982 Was So Important
The 1982 growing season in Bordeaux was, in a word, ideal. A warm spring led to early flowering, followed by a long, hot, dry summer. Crucially, September delivered near-perfect ripening conditions, allowing grapes—especially Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot—to reach exceptional phenolic maturity.
What emerged were wines of:
- Unprecedented ripeness and richness
- Supple tannins, making them enjoyable earlier than traditional Bordeaux
- Remarkable aging capacity, proving critics wrong decades later
This vintage also marked the rise of influential wine critic Robert Parker, whose enthusiastic praise for 1982 Bordeaux helped shift global demand and pricing dynamics. The era of modern Bordeaux—riper, more accessible, and internationally styled—arguably begins here.
The Left Bank Legends
Our tasting highlighted many powerhouse estates from the Médoc, where Cabernet Sauvignon dominates.
Pauillac: Power and Precision
- Château Mouton Rothschild (Wine 6) and Château Lafite’s neighbor, Château Léoville Las Cases (Wine 9) showcased the vintage’s classic structure paired with unprecedented richness.
- Château Haut-Batailley (Wine 3) and Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste (via style comparison) represent how even smaller classified growths thrived in 1982.
These wines are known for layered notes of cassis, cigar box, and graphite—hallmarks of Pauillac amplified by the vintage’s generosity.
Saint-Julien: Balance and Elegance
The trio of:
- Château Léoville Barton (Wine 4)
- Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (WIne 7)
- Château Gruaud Larose (Wine 8)
demonstrates why Saint-Julien is often called Bordeaux’s most consistent appellation. In 1982, consistency gave way to brilliance—these wines offered a seamless balance of fruit, acidity, and tannin, with remarkable longevity.
Saint-Estèphe: Structure Meets Ripeness
- Château Cos d’Estournel (Wine 5) stood out for its exotic spice, dense structure, and opulence—traits magnified in this warm vintage.
Traditionally austere Saint-Estèphe wines became unusually plush in 1982, without losing their backbone.
The First Growth Benchmark
Château Margaux (Wine 11)
Often cited as one of the wines of the vintage, Château Margaux in 1982 embodies refinement. Its perfume—violets, red fruits, cedar—is legendary, and its texture remains ethereal even decades later.
The inclusion of 1983 Château Margaux (Wine 12) in our tasting provided a compelling contrast: a cooler, more classic vintage that underscores just how extraordinary 1982 truly was.
** The actual tasting notes reveal something very different than what was expected.
Graves & Pessac-Léognan: Depth and Complexity
- Château La Mission Haut-Brion (Wine 10) delivered one of the vintage’s most profound expressions—smoky, earthy, and deeply layered.
** The actual tasting notes revealed that this bottle had a failed cork and the wine, while not a total loss, was in fact, severely damaged.
In 1982, Graves wines combined their signature minerality with ripe fruit in a way rarely seen before or since.
Right Bank and Other Standouts
Though your lineup leaned heavily Left Bank, it included a nod to the Right Bank:
- Château La Tour du Pin Figeac (Wine 1) (Saint-Émilion) offered a softer, Merlot-driven interpretation of the vintage—plush, round, and early-drinking.
Meanwhile:
- Château Potensac (Wine 2) showed how even non-classified estates benefited from the favorable conditions, producing wines of surprising depth and longevity.
The Defining Characteristics of 1982 Bordeaux
Across appellations and classifications, several unifying themes emerged from your tasting:
- Ripe, generous fruit – often blackcurrant, plum, and cherry
- Velvet textures – unusually approachable for young Bordeaux
- Harmonious structure – tannins integrated early
- Longevity proven over time – many are still drinking beautifully decades later
A Vintage That Changed Everything
Before 1982, Bordeaux was often austere in youth, demanding patience. After 1982, expectations shifted. Winemakers began to pursue greater ripeness, and consumers sought wines that balanced power with approachability.
The vintage also:
- Accelerated global demand for Bordeaux
- Increased wine investment culture
- Elevated critical influence, particularly from American reviewers
Final Reflections
Tasting through this lineup from is more than a sensory experience—it’s a journey through a pivotal chapter in wine history.
What makes 1982 so compelling today is not just its quality, but its lasting impact. These wines didn’t just age well—they redefined what Bordeaux could be.
And decades later, glass in hand, that revolution is still unfolding with every sip.
Before we look at the flight in detail, here is an overview of French wine, specifically the sub-region of Bordeaux.
French Wine
France is not the oldest winemaking country, although it is certainly considered one of the most important.
Grapes were originally planted and cultivated by the colonizing Greeks and Romans
Why is France so important?
- She produced 1.14 billion gallons in 2002 (#1 ranking).
- Her wine is the MOST exported of any other country.
- Her wine laws laid the foundation for nearly every other winemaking country.
What is the INAO?
The INAO is: The Institut National des Appellations d’Origine
- The administrator of France’s wine laws – enacted July 30, 1935
- Strictly govern a wine’s place of origin
- Maintains other regulations governing winemaking
- Establishes appellation hierarchy
French Wine Law Hierarchy (Classic):
- Vin de Table – First level (12%)
- Very rare in the export market, largely consumed within France and the European Community.
- Vin d’Pays – Second level (25%)
- Created to allow for greater marketability of French wines competing in a “global” wine market, especially where varietal labeling is prevalent.
- Large regional Départments
- Minimal restrictions
- Allows vintners latitude to compete
- Largest/Most Productive: Vin d’Pays d’Oc
- Accounts for 85% of Vin d’Pays wine produced
- Created to allow for greater marketability of French wines competing in a “global” wine market, especially where varietal labeling is prevalent.
- Vin délimité de qualité supérieure (VDQS) – Third level (1%)
- Very rare both in France and beyond.
- Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC) – Top Tier (60%)
AOC is what most people drink:
- Ensures that a French place name means something of quality.
- Highly restrictive regulations governing:
- Grape Varieties
- Harvest Times (Ripeness/Date)
- Yield
- Viticultural Practices
- Vinification Techniques
- Minimum/Maximum Alcoholic Strength
In 2006 the hierarchy of French Wine Laws underwent an overhaul, with new classifications being codified in 2012. As is typical with any system as complex as the INAO’s, labeling of wines to conform to the new hierarchy will take time. As a result, wine shoppers will likely see a mix of the “classic” hierarchy as well as that which was codified in 2012.
French Wine Law Hierarchy (Revised 2012):
- Vin de France – First level
- Replaces Vin de Table
- Indication géographique protégée (IGP) – Second level
- Replaces Vin d’Pays
- Appellation d’Origine Protégée (AOP) – Top Tier
- Replaces Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée (AOC)
The category of VDQS has been eliminated entirely from the hierarchy.
Common Complaints about the AOC
- French wine law stifles creativity – In reality, French winemakers are content that experimentation by their ancestors has optimized varietal selection by region.
- French wine law is protectionist – French wine production employs approximately 500 thousand people, most in threatened rural communities. Free market capitalism has a corrosive effect on the market environment, hence the need for the AOC.
- French wine law fails to guarantee quality – Appellations are a control on origin, not a guarantee of quality. The primary function of the AOC is to protect the uniqueness of a wine’s place of origin. The producer is expected to produce the best quality product from within a protected region.
- Yields in France are too high – The INAO and the ONIVINS recognize this as an issue and are working collectively to control yields.
- French wine law is too complicated – This is likely true for the ordinary consumer. However, these complications are a faithful reflection of cultural depth and human achievement over hundreds of years. One doesn’t have to command knowledge of the AOC in depth to derive enjoyment from these wines.
- French wine law is inconsistent – This criticism is largely valid. However, all legal systems tend to be unresponsive to innovation. French wine law must be able adapt to change, or it will perish.
- French wine law is consumer-unfriendly – This criticism is largely valid and it is a problem for the overall competitiveness of French wines in a global economy. The INAO is contemplating changes to address this issue (like varietal labeling of AOC wine).
- The boundaries of most AOC’s have been laxly drawn – This criticism is the result of rapid growth in popular AOC’s like Côte Rôtie and Chablis. In neither AOC does the criticism appear justified as quality has largely been maintained. This may not be true in all AOC’s, though.
- Those who break the rules don’t get caught – The INAO believes that 6% of all French wine is subject to fraud and that 1/10th of 1% are discovered. While recognized as an area that needs improvement, the wines in question are generally not part of the export market and therefore will have little impact on the prestige of all French wines.
- Most French wines don’t taste of terroir anyway, so why protect them – While partially true in the lowest classes of French wine; there is no disputing that most AOC wines have very distinct regional profiles that are defined as terroir.
The Concept of Terroir
Terroir is a French term that literally translated means: earth, or soil. A better definition might be the term: terrain.
In the larger context, wine tasters try to define terroir as specificity of place, which has come to include not only the soil in a region, but also the climate, the weather, the aspect of the vineyards and anything else that can possibly differentiate one piece of land from another. The following diagram helps to illustrate how the concept of terrior is composed of many attributes.
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is located in southwest France along the Gironde, Garonne and Dordogne rivers. The origins of the Bordeaux wine trade began in 1152, which coincided with Eleanor of Aquitaine’s marriage to King Henry II of England. This marriage is one reason why so many French Chateaux and Negociant owners are of English origin.
Easy access to the Atlantic has made Bordeaux an important city in France’s global wine trade.
Some interesting statistics:
- 280,000 acres planted to vineyards
- 85% of vineyards planted with red grape varieties
- 57 total appellations in Bordeaux
- 26% of all AOC wines originate in Bordeaux
- 60 million cases of wine made per year (on average)
Three major areas:
- Left Bank (West of the Gironde & Garonne rivers)
- Medóc – North
- Graves – South
(Soil Composition: Gravel, Sand & Pebbles)
- Right Bank (East of the Gironde & Dordogne rivers)
- Pomerol – North
- St.-Émilion – South
(Soil Composition: Clay, Chalk, Sand & Some Gravel)
- Entre-Deux-Mers (Between the Garonne & Dordogne rivers)
(Soil Composition: Clay, Sand & Some Gravel)
Six major “families” of wine:
- Bordeaux & Bordeaux Supérieur
- Côtes
- Graves & Médoc
- St. Emilion, Pomerol, & Fronsac
- Dry White
- Sweet White
Bordeaux – Grapes
Principal Grape Varieties:
| Reds: | Whites |
| Cabernet Sauvignon (Primarily Left Bank) | Semillon (Primarily Graves & Entre-Deux-Mers) |
| Merlot (Primarily Right Bank & Entre-Deux-Mers) | Sauvignon Blanc (Primarily Graves & Entre-Deux-Mers) |
| Cabernet Franc | Muscadelle |
| Petite Verdot | Colombard (Rarely used) |
| Malbec | Ugni Blanc (Rarely used) |
Bordeaux – AOC
- Left Bank
| Haut-Medóc | Medóc |
| St.-Estèphe | Graves |
| Pauillac | Pessac-Léognan |
| St.-Julien | Sauternes (Sweet) |
| Listrac | Barsac (Sweet) |
| Moulis | Cerons (Sweet) |
| Margaux |
- Entre-Deux-Mers
| Cotes de Bordeaux | Loupiac (Sweet) |
| Ste.-Croix du Mont (Sweet) | Cadillac (Sweet) |
- Right Bank
| Premieres Côtes de Bordeaux | St.-Émilion |
| Côtes de Bourg | Montagne-St.-Émilion |
| Côtes de Blaye | Lussac-St.-Émilion |
| Côtes du Castillon | St.-Georges-St.-Émilion |
| Bordeaux Côtes de Francs | Puisseguin-St.-Émilion |
| Côtes de Bordeaux Saint-Macaire | Fronsac |
| Canon-Fronsac | |
| Pomerol | |
| Lalande-de-Pomerol |
Bordeaux – Classifications
The Classification of 1855
- Most famous; A list of the best wines in the Medóc ordered by price
- Five levels called crus or “growths”
- Ranked only 87 properties (60 Medóc, 1 Graves, 26 Sauternes/Barsac)
- Only updated once since 1855 (1973 – Elevation of Mouton-Rothchilds to First Growth)
MÉDOC FIRST GROWTHS (PREMIERS CRUS):
| Château Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) | Château Margaux (Margaux) |
| Château Latour (Pauillac) | Château Haut-Brion Pessac (Graves) |
| Château Mouton-Rothschild (Pauillac) |
MÉDOC SECOND GROWTHS (DEUXIEMES CRUS):
| Château Rausan-Ségla (Margaux) | Château Rauzan-Gassies (Margaux) |
| Château Léoville-Las Cases (Saint-Julien) | Château Léoville-Poyferré (Saint-Julien) |
| Château Léoville-Barton (Saint-Julien) | Château Durfort-Vivens (Margaux) |
| Château Gruaud-Larose (Saint-Julien) | Château Lascombes (Margaux) |
| Château Brane-Cantenac Cantenac (Margaux) | Château Pichon-Longueville-Baron (Pauillac) |
| Château Pichon-Longueville (Pauillac) | Château Ducru-Beaucaillou (Saint-Julien) |
| Château Cos d’Estournel (Saint-Estephe) | Château Montrose (Saint-Estephe) |
MÉDOC THIRD GROWTHS (TROISIEMES CRUS):
| Château Kirwan Cantenac (Margaux) | Château d’Issan Cantenac (Margaux) |
| Château Lagrange (Saint-Julien) | Château Langoa-Barton (Saint-Julien) |
| Château Giscours Labarde (Margaux) | Château Malescot Saint-Exupéry (Margaux) |
| Château Boyd-Cantenac Cantenac (Margaux) | Château Cantenac-Brown Cantenac (Margaux) |
| Château Palmer Cantenac (Margaux) | Château La Lagune Ludon (Haut-Médoc) |
| Château Desmirail (Margaux) | Château Calon-Ségur (Saint-Estephe) |
| Château FerriEre (Margaux) | Château Marquis d’Alesme-Becker (Margaux) |
MÉDOC FOURTH GROWTHS (QUATRIEMES CRUS) COMMUNE:
| Château Saint-Pierre (Saint-Julien) | Château Talbot (Saint-Julien) |
| Château Branaire-Ducru (Saint-Julien) | Château Duhart-Milon-Rothschild (Pauillac) |
| Château Pouget Cantenac (Margaux) | Château La Tour-Carnet Saint-Laurent (Haut Médoc) |
| Château Lafon-Rochet (Saint-EstEphe) | Château Beychevelle (Saint-Julien) |
| Château Prieuré-Lichine Cantenac (Margaux) | Château Marquis-de-Terme (Margaux) |
MÉDOC FIFTH GROWTHS (CINQUIEMES CRUS):
| Château Pontet-Canet (Pauillac) | Château Batailley (Pauillac) |
| Château Haut-Batailley (Pauillac) | Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste (Pauillac) |
| Château Grand-Puy-Ducasse (Pauillac) | Château Lynch-Bages (Pauillac) |
| Château Lynch-Moussas (Pauillac) | Château Dauzac Labarde (Margaux) |
| Château D’Armailhac (Pauillac) | Château du Tertre Arsac (Margaux) |
| Château Haut-Bages-Libéral (Pauillac) | Château Pédesclaux (Pauillac) |
| Château Belgrave Saint-Laurent (Haut-Médoc) | Château de Camensac Saint-Laurent (Haut-Médoc) |
| Château Cos-Labory (Saint-EstEphe) | Château Clerc-Milon (Pauillac) |
| Château Croizet-Bages (Pauillac) | Château Cantemerle Macau (Haut-Médoc) |
SAUTERNES-BARSAC FIRST GREAT GROWTH (PREMIER CRU SUPERIEUR):
| Château d’Yquem (Sauternes) |
SAUTERNES-BARSAC FIRST GROWTHS (PREMIERS CRUS):
| Château La Tour-Blanche (Bommes) | Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey (Bommes) |
| Château Clos Haut-Peyraguey (Bommes) | Château de Rayne-Vigneau (Bommes) |
| Château Suduiraut (Preignac) | Château Coutet (Barsac) |
| Château Climens (Barsac) | Château Guiraud (Sauternes) |
| Château Rieussec (Fargues) | Château Rabaud-Promis (Bommes) |
| Château Sigalas-Rabaud (Bommes) |
SAUTERNES-BARSAC SECOND GROWTHS (DEUXIEMES CRUS):
| Château de Myrat (Barsac) | Château Doisy-Daëne (Barsac) |
| Château Doisy-Dubroca (Barsac) | Château Doisy-Védrines (Barsac) |
| Château d’Arche (Sauternes) | Château Filhot (Sauternes) |
| Château Broustet (Barsac) | Château Nairac (Barsac) |
| Château Caillou (Barsac) | Château Suau (Barsac) |
| Château de Malle (Preignac) | Château Romer-du-Hayot (Fargues) |
| Château Lamothe-Despujols (Sauternes) | Château Lamothe-Guignard (Sauternes) |
The Classification of 1932
- Cru Bourgeois wines classified – (3) Levels
- 444 properties in 1932 (50% of Medóc)
- 419 properties in 1978 (50% of Medóc)
- 247 properties in 2003 (50% of Medóc) – Suspended – Court Review
The Classification of 1959
- Graves wines classified
- 16 properties labeled Cru Classé
- 14 red wines; 8 white wines
- Only classification to contain dry white wines
CLASSIFIED RED WINES OF GRAVES:
| Château Bouscaut (Cadaujac) | Château Haut-Bailly (Léognan) |
| Château Carbonnieux (Léognan) | Domaine de Chevalier (Léognan) |
| Château de Fieuzal (Léognan) | Château d’Olivier (Léognan) |
| Château Malartic-Lagravière (Léognan) | Château La Tour-Martillac (Martillac) |
| Château Smith-Haut-Lafitte (Martillac) | Château Haut-Brion (Pessac) |
| Château La Mission-Haut-Brion (Talence) | Château Pape-Clément (Pessac) |
| Château Latour-Haut-Brion (Talence) |
CLASSIFIED WHITE WINES OF GRAVES:
| Château Bouscaut (Cadaujac) | Château Carbonnieux (Léognan) |
| Château Domaine de Chevalier (Léognan) | Château d’Olivier (Léognan) |
| Château Malartic Lagravière (Léognan) | Château La Tour-Martillac (Martillac) |
| Château Laville-Haut-Brion (Talence) | Château Couhins-Lurton (Villenave d’Ornan) |
| Château Couhins (Villenave d’Ornan) | Château Haut-Brion (Pessac) (added in 1960) |
The Classification of 1958
- St.-Émilion wines classified –
- Chateaux as of 1996:
- 55 properties labeled Grand Cru Classé
- 13 properties labeled Premiere Grand Cru Classé
FIRST GREAT GROWTH CATEGORY (Premiere Grand Cru Classé ) A:
| Château Ausone | Château Cheval Blanc |
FIRST GREAT GROWTH CATEGORY (Premiere Grand Cru Classé) B:
| Château Angélus | Château Beau-Séjour Bécot |
| Château BeauséJour (Duffau-Lagarosse) | Château Belair |
| Château Canon | Château Figeac |
| Château La Gaffeliere | Château Magdelaine |
| Château Pavie | Château Trottevieille |
| Clos Fourtet |
GREAT GROWTHS (Grand Cru Classé):
| Château Balestard La Tonelle | Château Bellevue |
| Château Bergat | Château Berliquet |
| Château Cadet Bon | Château Cadet-Piola |
| Château Canon La Gaffeliere | Château Cap De Mourlin |
| Château Chauvin | Château Clos Des Jacobins |
| Château Corbin | Château Corbin-Michotte |
| Château Curé Bon | Château Dassault |
| Château Faurie-De-Sauchard | Château Fonplégade |
| Château Fonroque | Château Franc Mayne |
| Château Grand Mayne | Château Grand Pontet |
| Château Guadet Saint-Julien | Château Haut Corbin |
| Château Haut Sarpe Saint-Christophe Des Bardes | Château L’arrosée |
| Château La Clotte | Château La Clusiere |
| Château La Couspaude | Château La Dominique |
| Château La Serre | Château La Tour Du Pin-Figeac (Giraud-Belivier) |
| Château La Tour Du Pin-Figeac (J.M. Moueix) | Château La Tour Figeac |
| Château Lamarzelle | Château Laniote |
| Château Larcis Ducasse Saint-Laurent Des Combes | Château Larmande |
| Château Laroque Saint-Christophe Des Bardes | Château Laroze |
| Château Le Prieuré | Château Les Grandes Murailles |
| Château Matras | Château Moulin Du Cadet |
| Château Pavie Decesse | Château Pavie Macquin |
| Château Petite Faurie De Soutard | Château Ripeau |
| Château Saint-George Cote Pavie | Château Soutard |
| Château Tertre Daugay | Château Troplong-Mondot |
| Château Villemaurine | Château Yon-Figeac |
| Clos De L’oratoire | Clos Saint-Martin |
| Couvent Des Jacobins |
- Chateaux as of 2006: (challenged in court – voided)
- 46 properties labeled Grand Cru Classé
- 15 properties labeled Premiere Grand Cru Classé
1982 Bordeaux – The Flight
Château La Tour du Pin Figeac
Powerful nose. Gamey with dried fruit, black cherry, and cedar hints. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with well-integrated tannins. Vibrant palate with black cherry and blackberry notes. Long finish. Complex spice box and brambly aftertaste. Charming. Easily commands another 5-7 years at peak.
Château Potensac
Soft, muted nose. Dried strawberry with mineral and leather hints. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with well-integrated tannins. muted palate with dried cherry and dried raspberry notes. Long finish. Anise and dried violets on the aftertaste. Not sure where this wine may end up.
Château Haut Batailley
Funky nose at first. Minerally, intense and vibrant with raspberry and blackberry hints. Full-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm tannins. Dark fruit nose with black cherry and dried herb notes. Long finish. Almost jammy aftertaste. Stunning. Easily commands another 10-12 years at peak.
Château Leoville Barton
Gamey with leather, anise, and menthol hints. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with moderate tannins. Dark fruit core with cherry, tobacco, and cedar notes. Long finish. Licorice and eucalyptus on the aftertaste. Easily commands another 10-12 years at peak.
Château Cos d’Estournel
Lovely nose. Dried fruit. Dried strawberry hints. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm tannins. Dark fruit core with blackberry notes. Long finish. Black licorice and cedar on the aftertaste. Delightful. Easily commands another 12-15 years at peak.
Château Mouton Rothschild
Earthy, leathery nose. Dried fruit, and cedar hints. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with moderate tannins. Funky and tired, with bramble and menthol notes. Moderate finish. Soy sauce on the aftertaste. Disappointing given the build up. Not sure if what caused the label damage may have influenced the wine. The fill was high and the cork was in great shape.
Château Ducru-Beaucailliou
Tight nose. Leather, dried violets, anise, and cedar hints. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm tannins. Sour cherry palate with leather and bramble notes. Long finish. Powerful. Easily commands another 12-15 years at peak.
Château Gruaud Larose
Gamey with leather, brambles, and cedar hints. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm tannins. Sour palate with tart cherry and blueberry notes. Long finish. cedar and leather on the aftertaste. Easily commands another 5 -7 years at peak.
Château Leoville Las Cases
Soft, feminine nose. Gamey with earthy, leather and dried cherry hints. Full-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm tannins. Dark fruit core with black cherry and blackberry notes. Long finish. Almond skin and black walnut aftertaste. Easily commands another 12-15 years at peak.
Château La Mission Haut Brion
Oxidative nose with madeirized, Sherry hints Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Balanced with moderate tannins. Sulphur and burnt orange rind notes. Long finish. Vinegary on the aftertaste. Totally corked. Despite the flaws, the wine still managed to show a degree of elegance – this could have been a stunning bottle.
Château Margaux (1982)
Tight nose. Gamey with leather, and cedar hints. Medium-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm tannins. Dried cherry palate with roasted game and menthol notes. Long finish. Sweaty and gamey on the aftertaste. Tired. Disappointing. Just past peak.
Château Margaux (1983)
Bright and fruity nose. Vibrant, fresh cherry hints. Full-bodied with moderate acidity. Well-balanced with firm tannins. Dark fruit core with black cherry and blackberry notes. Long finish. Concentrated and brooding on the aftertaste. Huge. Easily commands another 15-20 years at peak.
1982 Bordeaux – The Scores
| Château Margaux (1983) | 32 |
| Château Leoville Las Cases | 31 |
| Château Ducru-Beaucailliou | 26 |
| Château Cos d’Estournel | 17 |
| Château La Tour du Pin Figeac | 14 |
| Château Haut Batailley | 12 |
| Château Leoville Barton | 9 |
| Château Potensac | 6 |
| Château Gruaud Larose | 5 |
| Château Mouton Rothschild | 2 |
| Château La Mission Haut Brion | 1 |
| Château Margaux (1982) | 0 |
1982 Bordeaux – The Cheese
Mothais a la Feuille
Mothais a la Feuille is a French goat’s milk cheese originating in the Poitou-Charentes region of western France. It is named after the town of Mothe-Saint-Héray where the cheese has been made and sold since the 19th century. In 2002, the cheese was awarded an AOC designation to protect the quality standards. Fresh goat’s milk is used to prepare the cheese which is then matured in a room with unusually high humidity. During the maturity period, it is covered in a protective chestnut, sycamore or plane leaf coating. Mothais a la Feuille has a soft, runny texture that becomes dense as it ages. The unique combination of earthy, lemony and mold flavors of the leaf become intense as the cheese matures. On the surface, the rind of the cheese is delicate and wrinkled with blue and green mold underneath the leaf shell. It has been injected with a strain of Geotrichum that allows the cheese to breathe and develop the typical goat milk flavor.
Country: France
Milk Type: Goat
Cheese Type: Soft
Jasper Hill Farm “Harbison”
Harbison is a soft-ripened cheese with a rustic, bloomy rind, made by Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro Vermont. Young cheeses are wrapped in strips of spruce cambium, the tree’s inner bark layer, harvested from the farm’s woodlands. Harbison is woodsy and sweet, balanced with lemon, mustard, and vegetal flavors. The cheese is named for Anne Harbison, affectionately known as the grandmother of Greensboro, and pays homage to the breathtaking views, traditions and people that makes Vermont’s working landscape special.
Country: US (VT)
Milk Type: Cow
Cheese Type: Soft
Quicke’s Mature Clothbound Cheddar
Quicke’s Mature Clothbound Cheddar is a savory, crumbly truckle and a shining example of English cheddar. The grass-fed, farmstead production process makes for a mature cheddar that is savory and grassy, with notes of warm butter and fresh horseradish.
Country: England
Milk Type: Cow
Cheese Type: Hard
Bleu d’Auvergne
Bleu d’Auvergne is a name-protected (Denomination Origine Protected, DOP) cheese from the Auvergne region in south-central France, where it has been made since the middle of the 19th century. Bleu d’Auvergne is made in the traditional manner from cow’s milk and features blue veining throughout. Its moist, sticky rind conceals a soft paste possessing a grassy, herbaceous, and (with age) spicy, pungent taste.
Country: France
Milk Type: Cow
Cheese Type: Blue-Veined