Community Tasting Notes 132

• unreal Likes this wine: 92 points

  April 11, 2024 - A little disappointing vs. the rest. Hints of red fruit (strawberry), licorice, mint, chocolate. Very smooth in the palate, slight hint of spices. I missed the structure a bit.

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• Cailles wrote: 94 points

  December 31, 2023 - 20 Top Wines of the 1983 Vintage: Six Bordeaux titans. Each bottle exceeded our expectations, showcasing classic Bordeaux structures, bursting with freshness, tension, and an invigorating verve. The perfect harmony of tertiary aromas and a robust fruit core was mesmerizing. 1983 has produced some great wines drinking in their prime today. For me, the Latour, scoring a stellar 97 points, was the standout star. Yet, by a narrow margin, the group’s heart went to the Cheval Blanc.
  
  TN: This had a pretty subpar cork and was hence much more evolved than it should have been. Yet that brought us a glimps into the future: it showed layered with those fine malty notes you usually only get with much older wines. Additionally, some smoke notes mixing with minerality and dried dark berries. While the structure did hold up, the wine was not 100% clean but got better and better with air.
  
  Decanting: Quick double decant to remove the sediment 5-6 hours prior to consumption. This needed more air in the glass, but as mentioned above - not a representative bottle.

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• Cailles wrote: 91 points

  December 28, 2023 - 12x Bordeaux 1983 vs 1993: All wines tasted single blind. Not decanted. As anticipated, the 1983 vintage prevailed in our comparative tasting, scoring 8 to 2 wins against the 1993 vintage, with two ties. The structured, classic ’83s exhibited greater depth and harmony compared to the ‘93s, which tended to be simpler, sometimes slightly green and dry, or at their best, fresh and light. However, in both vintages, aside from a few notable labels, many wines were evidently beyond their peak. The standout was, unsurprisingly, the Margaux (94pts). Tasting the some of the same ’83s a second time a few days later with decanting showed a marked improvement, highlighting the need of aeration.
  
  TN: Vibrant on the nose with a medium intensity of dark berries, laced with a smoky, ripe charm and a touch of minerality. On the palate, it starts with a bold smokiness, gradually mellowing as the fruit emerges. The structure is elegant, with smooth tannins and a fresh feel, though it retains a slightly green, ashy note. Nose scores a handsome 93pts, with the overall experience at 91pts and better than the 1993 (84pts) which is past peak.

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• Waël Likes this wine: 95 points

  December 9, 2023 - The cork came out impeccably by Jascha Baraness, head sommelier at Le Select (Toronto). Poured into a decanter for 30 minutes to rest, then drank over a meal. The color is rusty iron red letting in layers of light through the glass. The initial bouquet is heavy on wood, forest floor, moist mushrooms. Some coaxing brings forward beautiful aromas of unripe cassis, leather, blood, green pepper, graphite, coffee and spices. The palate is smooth, with barely perceptible tannins. Medium bodied but long on the finish. Green pepper is foremost on the palate, followed by maraschino cherries, crushed black pepper, and a complex array of very subtle red fruit in the background. At 40 years old, this is in its peak and well worth the experience.

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• G_H wrote: 97 points

  November 25, 2023 - 40 years on: A global 1983 retrospective: Malt, cocoa, espresso, caramel, medicine cabinet, wonderfully creamy and long. LOVE IT!

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Pro Reviews 2

Wine Definition

• Vintage 1983
• Type Red
• Producer Château Haut-Brion
• Varietal Red Bordeaux Blend
• Designation n/a
• Vineyard n/a
• Country France
• Region Bordeaux
• SubRegion Graves
• Appellation Pessac-Léognan
• UPC Codes 031259016368, 3364420025911, 802236002519

Community Holdings

• Pending Delivery 7 (0%)
• In Cellars 1,083 (69%)
• Consumed 472 (30%)

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