1 magnumper lot
Details
Château Lafite-Rothschild--Vintage 1982
Pauillac, 1er cru classé. Château-bottled
Not in original wooden case. Bin-soiled label. Level into neck
Vintage note: A milestone. A sign of the complete recovery of the market; more, that the combination of richness and perceived quality matched the economic climate. It was the first really important, and well-timed, vin de garde since 1970, and perhaps the first universally touted ripe-for-investment vintage of the post-war period. But how have they turned out, and what is their future?
First though, the climatic conditions preceding the birth of this vintage. Ideal growing conditions. Flowering early and evenly. Hot and dry summer harvest from 14 September in great heat, the early-ripening Merlot with very high must weight. There was then a change, two days of heavy rain. I was there and thought it presaged another '64. The sun and fresh breezes enable the Cabernets to ripen more normally. Rich tannic wines resulted. The big guns still have fire power and length of trajectory. ***** Michael Broadbent, Vintage Wine
Tasting note: Although not tasted prior to 1985, even at that stage I gave it, unhesitatingly, a potential 5 stars. Roughly two dozen notes spread pretty evenly over the years since. One thing is certain, it is not a delicate wallflower. Over the 1980s the Lafite bouquet developed beautifully. At Penning-Rowsell's '10-year' first growth tasting it was markedly deep, intense; nose spicy, quite powerful, nowhere near levelling off. The most detailed and useful notes were made at three subsequent comparative tastings of first growths. What has been apparent is the closeness in depth and quality. At Kaplan's 1982 evening in Chicago in 1997 it was well evolved with an extraordinary flavour, full of fruit, fragrant. At Rodenstock's wine weekend in 1998, 'tasted blind', it seemed high-toned and crisp, half a point below the other first growth Médocs, its length and fragrance a major feature at a mixed tasting of '82s in Hamburg (March 2000). Most recently, still impressively deep and comparatively youthful; a well developed, sweet and harmonious bouquet. Mouthfulling, so much on show, so much left to show. Last noted at La Réserve tasting of '82 Pauillacs, April 2001 ****(*) Another effortless 20 years? Michael Broadbent, Vintage Wine
1 magnumper lot
Pauillac, 1er cru classé. Château-bottled
Not in original wooden case. Bin-soiled label. Level into neck
Vintage note: A milestone. A sign of the complete recovery of the market; more, that the combination of richness and perceived quality matched the economic climate. It was the first really important, and well-timed, vin de garde since 1970, and perhaps the first universally touted ripe-for-investment vintage of the post-war period. But how have they turned out, and what is their future?
First though, the climatic conditions preceding the birth of this vintage. Ideal growing conditions. Flowering early and evenly. Hot and dry summer harvest from 14 September in great heat, the early-ripening Merlot with very high must weight. There was then a change, two days of heavy rain. I was there and thought it presaged another '64. The sun and fresh breezes enable the Cabernets to ripen more normally. Rich tannic wines resulted. The big guns still have fire power and length of trajectory. ***** Michael Broadbent, Vintage Wine
Tasting note: Although not tasted prior to 1985, even at that stage I gave it, unhesitatingly, a potential 5 stars. Roughly two dozen notes spread pretty evenly over the years since. One thing is certain, it is not a delicate wallflower. Over the 1980s the Lafite bouquet developed beautifully. At Penning-Rowsell's '10-year' first growth tasting it was markedly deep, intense; nose spicy, quite powerful, nowhere near levelling off. The most detailed and useful notes were made at three subsequent comparative tastings of first growths. What has been apparent is the closeness in depth and quality. At Kaplan's 1982 evening in Chicago in 1997 it was well evolved with an extraordinary flavour, full of fruit, fragrant. At Rodenstock's wine weekend in 1998, 'tasted blind', it seemed high-toned and crisp, half a point below the other first growth Médocs, its length and fragrance a major feature at a mixed tasting of '82s in Hamburg (March 2000). Most recently, still impressively deep and comparatively youthful; a well developed, sweet and harmonious bouquet. Mouthfulling, so much on show, so much left to show. Last noted at La Réserve tasting of '82 Pauillacs, April 2001 ****(*) Another effortless 20 years? Michael Broadbent, Vintage Wine
1 magnumper lot
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