December 24, 2022 - Opened after dinner on Christmas Eve. Immediately open and expressive, sweet ripe fruit and Christmas cake; beautifully balanced with a richness of texture, soft tannins and a long finish. Drinking perfectly now but no reason it shouldn’t go another 5-10 years, very few tertiary notes now and still fruit-forward.
[day 3 update, recorked with ~250ml left in the bottle: still going strong, softer texture though still with some grip on the finish; aromas of blueberry and Parma violets starting to emerge.]
April 15, 2021 - This wine was one of my greatest pleasures in recent years. Beautifully aged, remarkably smooth, and not at all 'old-tasting'. It lasted a week sprayed with argon, and only improved just a little. The fruit was still there, and definitely oak. A taste only achieved with age. There was magic in 1982. Alcohol is 11.5%.This is not a misprint, but an homage to the exquisitely balanced wines of the past.
October 31, 2020 - Chateau d'Angludet mini vertical (KC's place): a slightly riper version of the 83 with a little more savoury spice and biscuit. Juicy medium plus intensity acidity, sweetly fruit, talc textured tannin burr on the mid palate is persistent. Leather, cigar box, cedar, mushroom, a little alcohol warmth, broad, long, nice. with time black tea and pepper spice start to come through as well.
April 30, 2018 - No formal notes taken, but recall plenty of tertiary notes - mushrooms, leather, is still holding onto a touch of fruit and still a smear of tannins remaining. In the retirement village now, best to drink up.
November 24, 2016 - great nose. We drank right away and smooth as silk. Loved it.
June 8, 2016 - Drunk at 67 Pall Mall (in those wonderful Zalto glasses) Brick red, obviously fully mature. Lovely, earthy, savoury, old blackcurrants, cherries and mixed herbs. Very long, lingering finish. It's not going to improve, but it will last longer. Would have confused this for a much greater wine and yet more evidence of how great 1982 was for red Bordeaux.
February 16, 2013 - Mid Feb 2013: purple red color with lots of colloids; bouquet of cherry, coffee, chocolate; like authentic drinking chocolate on the palate; medium body; still some grip of the tannins.
Still very good but definitively past his best years, better drink it up.
October 26, 2008 - Still very good coloring of Red/Garnet at the core with light bricking on the rim. a fairly simplistic nose of black currant & spicy oak. on the palate, the acidity was soaring, and the tannins are still there and very fine with a decent length on the finish. my only gripe is that the fruit was a bit lacking, but overall a great pairing with roasted rack of lamb. drink em if you got em!
July 14, 2005 - Sydney Winestar Offline - Castel Mola Restaurant (Leichhardt, New South Wales, Australia): Deeply coloured and a superb nose. I really enjoyed this, but perhaps just starting on the downward slide after hitting its peak
June 12, 1998 - Pre Auction Wine Tasting w/ 1962 Unico & Krugs (NYC): Still holding on to some fruit. Very refined and smooth. A nice drink.