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Bordeaux 1982
The 1982 vintage was an excellent one for Bordeaux, as I have alluded to in my 1982 Twenty Years On tasting. It has in fact gone on to become one of the most highly regarded vintages of the 20th Century. What made this a great vintage was, of course, great weather. Here I present a summary of the vintage conditions, together with tasting notes on just three wines from the right bank appellation of St Emilion.
Vintage Review
A successful flowering in June brought the first suggestion that 1982 might be a special vintage; the earlier this event occurs, the earlier the grapes ripen (providing the weather is favourable), and thus the earlier the harvest is likely to be. The flowering also suggested that there would be a huge crop; the more flowers there are, the more fruit there will be, providing the fertilisation goes well. July remained hot, although August was perhaps not so impressive; temperatures were lower than was usual. But September put the icing on the cake, with a heatwave bringing the fruit to ripeness perfectly. It all suggested this would be a great vintage; other early vintages included the highly successful 1959, 1961 and 1966, and the latter of these was also marked by significant summer heat. In addition, the early predictions about the size of the crop proved well founded; it was at the time the largest ever recorded. This was in part due to increased plantings of generic vineyards, and this record has since been broken by a number of more recent vintages.
The harvested fruit was super-ripe, both in respect of sugar content and
physiology, with excellent tannin levels. As a result there were a few fierce
fermentations, and those equipped with temperature control - by no means a
universal feature of the 1982 chai - put it to good use. The wines were
as a result rich, tannic and impressive. And in the decades since the harvest,
the wines appear to have stood the test of time. There have been a few occasions
when critics would should perhaps know better have decried the wines, suggesting
that they are ageing before the time, but at over twenty years of age those I
have experienced have been doing very well indeed. The one exception to this
rule is Sauternes,
which did not share in the region's good fortune this year.
Although 1982 was one of the greatest vintages of recent decades, it is also renowned for reasons other than just the quality of the wine. It has also gone down in history as the year with which Robert Parker made his name, declaring it as a great vintage when many established critics were decrying the wines. Parker himself, however, is happy to point out that first to heap praise rather than criticism upon the vintage was the French critic Michel Bettane. Nevertheless, a number of Parker's contemporaries in the USA were shouting down the vintage, advising against purchase of the wines, and with the benefit of hindsight we can see that they got it spectacularly wrong.
A first glance at the vintage in maturity is presented here, with tasting notes on three wines from St Emilion, but provided above is a link to a slightly broader tasting, looking at wines from a number of Bordeaux appellations. Tasted at 21 years of age, these three wines impressed not only with their quality but also their apparent longevity. (18/6/03, updated 19/8/08)
Bordeaux 1982 - Tasting Notes
Tasted blind in June 2003. Click
to locate stockists.
Chateau Clos des Jacobins (St Emilion) 1982: One of
the lesser known Cordier properties. A deep,
maturing hue. This is sweet and complex on the nose, which is dense and still
has plenty of evident fruit despite this wines age. It's also a touch leathery
and horsey, perhaps suggesting some Brettanomyces contamination? Sweet liquorice
flavours also. On the palate it is fully integrated, absolutely ready, and
simply lovely to drink. The finish has elegance and completeness. This is fine
drinking. 17/20
Chateau La Dominique (St Emilion) 1982: A reliable
property not far from Cheval Blanc, near the border with Pomerol, which
consistently over-achieves. Another deep,
mature colour. This has a nose of black fruit, together with obvious green
vegetal notes very reminiscent (in a much less offensive manner) of the 1985
vintage from this property. This characteristic shows through on the palate
also, which is full and creamy, and rich in fruit. It is attractive, balanced,
smoothly textured and has some elegance, despite this mild, initial criticism.
Some length also. Drinking now. 17/20
Chateau Larmande (St Emilion)
1982: Another over-achieving property, Chateau Larmande regularly and
reliably turns out desirable wines. This one also has a deep and mature colour.
The nose is slightly sweaty, but with some sweet fruit, and obvious maturity and
complexity. It's a touch vegetal, with some blackcurrant leaf, but also
(somewhat surprisingly) it has notes of limes, lemons and other citrus fruits.
The palate is not intense, but shows good structure, with medium body, a full
and creamy texture, and nicely integrated tannins. This wine is delicious, and
ready for current drinking. 17/20
