Tasting Notes
Vinous 98
Medium-deep red. Slightly roasted, liqueur-like aromas of cherry, raspberry, roasted plum, caramel, dark chocolate and bonfire. A huge wine with great sweetness and chewy depth. Compelling flavors of jammy fruits and truffle. A massive wine kept miraculously firm by its minerally grip. The major tannins saturate the teeth and palate. Another magical ’61, fully mature now but capable of holding for another decade or two. Had there been a vote for the wine of the weekend, this would certainly have rated among the top two or three bottles. The Rest of the 1982s
Robert Parker 93
A very deep garnet core with very little ageing on the rim. A deep, broody, taciturn nose at first but with a few swirls of the glass is suddenly reveals an more opulent personality with black fruits rather than red, blackberry, lemongrass, wet sand, touches of prune and shoe-polish. The palate is full-bodied, quite decadent and powerful with firm, a oethicka tannins that coat the mouth. Sinewy. This is certainly a huge wine, perhaps lacking a little delineation but impressive in terms of the sheer weight and length. Blackberry, tar, dates and sandalwood. The kind of wine that if you tasted from the chateau reserves might blow your mind. Drink now-2015. Tasted June 2007.
Anticipated maturity: 2007-2015
JancisRobinson.com 19
Blackish crimson, brick rim. Black cherries on the nose. Very opulent and arresting. Fragrant and charming and lovely. Round and mellow and lots of sweet interest. Meaty, lacquer of duck (as in Peking duck). Not enormous but very, very true and difficult to spit. Intense. My favourite even when I thought it was a 1990!
Anticipated maturity: 2002-2010
