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Bordeaux 1981

Overshadowed by the 1982 vintage, 1981 Bordeaux has given wine lovers top class claret at relatively affordable prices for many years. Twenty years on, the 1981 clarets have been drinking well for some time now, and some established critics even consider a number of these wines to be past their best. This recent tasting was a farewell to the vintage for us, as we drank up most of our few remaining bottles.

Hopes were high in Bordeaux in the summer of 1981, as vignerons anticipated a great vintage. The flowering in spring had been uneventful, and although July was cool the fruit ripened well through a warm and dry August and September. The harvest began under good conditions in the very last days of September, but to the disappointment of those involved the first two weeks of October were dogged by rain, leading to a dilution of the grape juice and a subsequent reduction in the quality of the wine produced. Nevertheless, reliable chateaux still managed to fashion some stylish, classic wines, with medium body and good structure. They did not have the ripeness and density of those from the 1982 vintage, however, and so did not find great favour with certain critics. No doubt this has been a major factor in keeping the prices reasonable compared to the the subsequent vintages.

Like many Bordeaux vintages, 1981 favoured certain regions more than others. Chateaux in Pauillac, St Julien and Pomerol seemed to produce the better wines. (20/9/01)

Bordeaux 1981 - Tasting Notes

Tasted in September 2001. Click to locate stockists:

Chateau La Lagune (Haut-Médoc) 1981: A mahogany red wine. Lovely fruit on the nose, and a touch floral. There are aromas of cinders and fine, sharp treacle toffee. More good cassis fruit as well as green peppercorns on the palate. Medium bodied, with a fairly high acid, and soft, integrated tannins. A touch creamy and a toffee edge. The acid shows on the finish which is quite sharp, although there is quite a length. 17/20

Chateau Montrose (St-Estèphe) 1981: Also a dense, caramel-purple wine. Toffee, ripe fruit and even a touch of coffee on the nose. Ripe and fleshy on the palate, loaded with mineral fruit. Good tannins and a chewy structure, leading into a soft but powerful finish. 17.5+/20

Chateau Palmer (Margaux) 1981: This wine has a fairly similar hue, although perhaps just a touch more purple. Rich and smoky on the nose, a touch tarry, with dense fruit, exotic nuances and notes of currants and weeds. Before I even taste it I know this is wonderful stuff. On the palate this is a more weighty wine, perhaps even a little lush, although this is supported by strong acidity. Firm with good structure, the tannins are fully integrated leading to a smooth and harmonious finish. Again quite lengthy with some acid. 18/20

Chateau Margaux (Margaux) 1981: A dense purple wine. Austere blackcurrant and mineral aromas, quite sexy and powerful. A touch curranty. This is a delightful wine to open the second flight. Near perfect balance on the palate, There are still some dry tannins, but these lie with a layer of sweet and luscious fruit. Finishes well, with a length that goes on and on and on. This wine has plenty of life in it yet. Surely a first growth. 18.5+/20

Chateau Léoville-Barton (St Julien) 1981: Again here we have a similar hue. On the nose we have some fruit with a lick of graphite, but this is spoiled by a dirty, vegetal note which becomes more obvious and woody with time. A corked wine. Nevertheless, fairly lush on the palate, spicy and peppery, but marred by the musty notes of TCA. Underneath there is good structure. The finish is dirty and harsh. What a crying shame, this would have been a wonderful wine. Not rated.

Chateau Léoville-Las-Cases (St Julien) 1981: Deep and densely coloured wine, red-purple with a hint of mahogany. Wonderful blackcurrant and currant flavours, quite rich and yet a touch austere. A velvety texture, with a big structure, and a strong acidic backbone. An incredible but slightly austere length. 17.5+/20

Chateau Grand-Puy-Lacoste (Pauillac) 1981: This is a more densely coloured, purple and more youthful looking wine. New toffee oak on the nose, with blackcurrant fruit. Less expressive than the previous wines. Sweet, ripe and a touch fleshy on the palate. Mouthfilling, medium bodied, with nice tannins and balanced acidity. Despite the soft, opulent midpalate there is a powerful, warming finish which showcases the grainy tannins. 17.5/20

Chateau Haut-Batailley (Pauillac) 1981: Again a beautiful and youthful colour. Dense blackcurrant fruit on the nose, with some tarry, smoky, pencil lead notes. Rich and quite opulent on the palate. Balanced acidity and integrated tannins provide an attractive structure. Sweet and lengthy finish. 17/20

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild (Pauillac) 1981: This wine shows it's age with more of a mahogany touch. Nevertheless, rich and smoky, slightly austere blackcurrant and mineral fruit on the nose. Like the last wine this also has some residual tannins, although it has a big structure, full of fruit, but achieving a sense of balance. The finish is packed with pepper and spice, and leads into another incredible length. Another wine with bags of potential. 18.5/20

Chateau Latour (Pauillac) 1981: Quite a dense, caramel-mahogany wine. Unfortunately there are horrendous corked aromas from this wine, which I just couldn't get past on the nose. On the palate, good fruit, strong tannins and a nice structure shows that this may have been a lovely wine. Oh dear. Not rated.