October 5, 2022 - Nicely matured; coarse and layered and balanced; soft smooth tannin; blackberry-coffee; length.
February 14, 2022 - My second bottle in the past month, this one with a slightly higher (top shoulder) fill. Although the cork was in much better condition than my last bottle (not saturated at all), this had a similar flavor profile. I did not follow my own advice to decant, as this was a pop-and-pour audible after an unexpectedly poor showing by an '89 Pibran. It also did not last long between the four of us, so there was not much time to follow its evolution. This had a textbook nose of cedar and cigar leaf, and was more red- than black-fruited on the palate, with pleasant acidity and a fading core of cherry and red currant fruit.
January 16, 2022 - This was the lowest fill bottle of this lot (a recent auction purchase), with high shoulder fill, corroded capsule and wine-soaked cork, suggesting there was likely previous seepage. So not a pristine bottle. Nonetheless, for this fan of aged claret, this was quite appealing. Initially thee was a bit of mustiness (not TCA) which blew off in the glass, and at first sip this was all cedar and sandalwood, with some subtle tart cherry, cranberry and red plum notes peeking through. This filled out considerably with aeration, and the last glass of the night was the best, developing additional heft, perfume and complexity, with more bright red fruits coming to the forefront to complement the cigar and spicebox notes. I think decanting would have helped, so I'll try this with my next bottle.
December 26, 2021 - This showed exceptionally well and exceeded my expectations.
From an awesome vintage for LB BDX, should I have been that surprised?
20 min splash decant to blow off the funk - this became very soft and approachable with secondary fruit notes still hanging proudly in the nose and pallet.
Still grippy enough to hold up with food, I really enjoyed this old-school bottle of 'claret'. When St. Julien is on, it is the best value in BDX.
This wine was no different.
January 11, 2021 - Showing exceptionally well tonight. Best of the 1982 St Juliens over Leoville and Lagrange. Impressively dark color, med+ concentration, black currant, tobacco, spice, some oak. Full mature. Drink now
April 10, 2020 - Purchased on release and perfectly stored. Paid $17 per price tag from Gold Standard. This was a wonderful surprise. Still opaque with dark brick red color. Showy exotic spice box aromas of cigar, cinnamon, nutmeg, & clove. Palate weight is actually somewhat thick and concentrated with dried plum and hints of cherry, toast, and some dark chocolate essence. A joy to drink. Opened for a virtual wine dinner with food
Revised from Les Nomades during the COVID-19 apocalypse shut in.
October 19, 2019 - Dirty, bretty.
November 14, 2017 - Like the vast majority of wines I've purchased via WineBid, this one had bad provenance, and I strongly suspect heat damage.
July 12, 2017 - Mocha; earth; sweet; melted tannins.
July 2, 2016 - Light ruby color. Vegetable nose. Mild tannins, medium bodied, soft and supple with old world charm. Oak and Casis. Still has some life, but drink up.