1983 Bordeaux + Loire recommendations?

[Claus_Jeppesen]

Nothing new here adding Margaux appellation, Sauternes, and Chave Hermitage, but will add that German Riesling in 1983 is fantastic

+1
Mosel Saar Ruwer and Nahe Spätlese and Auslese. Try to find JJ Prüm Whlener Sonnenuhr or Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Niederhausen Schlossböckelheim Kupfergrube or Hermannshöhle. Really amazing wines

[Jonathan_Jetter]

Nothing new here adding Margaux appellation, Sauternes, and Chave Hermitage, but will add that German Riesling in 1983 is fantastic

+1
Mosel Saar Ruwer and Nahe Spätlese and Auslese. Try to find JJ Prüm Whlener Sonnenuhr or Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Niederhausen Schlossböckelheim Kupfergrube or Hermannshöhle. Really amazing wines

I have limited knowledge of old riesling- I love the ones I’ve tried, but probably only ~20 bottles total, over the last 3 years.

Would the sugar in the Spatlese / Auslese help make up for “light signs of past seepage” (as described on Winebid), or a “slightly elevated cork”? I’d usually avoid those things with Bordeaux + Loire, not sure if worth taking more risk here?

(Also, thanks to everyone who responded so far- what a wonderful list to go searching for)

[Kris_Patten]

Nothing new here adding Margaux appellation, Sauternes, and Chave Hermitage, but will add that German Riesling in 1983 is fantastic

+1
Mosel Saar Ruwer and Nahe Spätlese and Auslese. Try to find JJ Prüm Whlener Sonnenuhr or Staatliche Weinbaudomäne Niederhausen Schlossböckelheim Kupfergrube or Hermannshöhle. Really amazing wines

I have limited knowledge of old riesling- I love the ones I’ve tried, but probably only ~20 bottles total, over the last 3 years.

Would the sugar in the Spatlese / Auslese help make up for “light signs of past seepage” (as described on Winebid), or a “slightly elevated cork”? I’d usually avoid those things with Bordeaux + Loire, not sure if worth taking more risk here?

(Also, thanks to everyone who responded so far- what a wonderful list to go searching for)

Signs of seepage and a higher fill and lighter color doesn’t usually worry me. I avoid low fills and dark colors first.

[Gerhard_P]

[flash=][/flash]

Cheval Blanc, Palmer, Chateau Margaux and d’Yquem are the stars of 83 Bordeaux today. I find most of the other wines mentioned in this thread to be past their prime.

While you didn’t mention Rhône, while it is pricey, 83 Chave Hermitage is off the hook these days. I imagine 83 Jaboulet La Chapelle is good. 83 La Mouline is other worldly!!!

While the question was after Bordeaux, sure Chave and Guigal LM and LL are still very fine ( as is Rostaing LL btw … and Jamet Cote brune 83 and Gentaz- Dervieux) .

H.La Chapelle: you can be lucky to taste a great bottle … but there are also quite mean bottles around (2nd bottling ???) that are not bad but not great either …

Outstanding Chateauneuf-d-P. like Rayas, Pegau, Vieux Telegraph, Bonneau Celestins … and Beaucastel is also good (not as good as 81 …)

Rarely did I have bottles past their prime: not Gruaud-L nor Talbot, Evangile or Las Cases or Lynch-B … maybe single bottles with less than perfect proveniance … but Cos was not convincing …

[M_Matthews]

83 is my birth year DCB, GPL are pretty, but honestly 80s cordier wines are rally what i want when I go to 80s Bordeaux. Talbot was good on par with GL.

On provenance, DcB and GPL we’re case purchases at auction so maybe provenance was good, i think the others i ve had came from envoyer. GPL seemed freshest / had the most fruit.

In my view 83s at this point are pretty, not dead but not robust either. Good for sentimentality, but I’d pay more for 86/89 if not my birth year.

[M_Matthews]

Also if you are in the bay area happy to share

[Robert.A.Jr]

Going to start hunting for a few '83 bottles for my 40th next year. I’ve only had a couple '83 so far, and would be grateful for any recommendations.

Might spring for a first growth, but definitely interested in producers that might fly a little under the radar ('82 La Lagune was killer when I had it, '64 Haut-Batailley too, etc), as I often find them wonderful.

Also if anyone has particular Loire favorites from that vintage, would be grateful to hear those too.

Thanks in advance for your time + your help.

Hard for me to imagine a 1983 Loire that I would recommend. If you must, go Raffault and Huet. The 85 Raffault Les Picasses can still be brilliant.

[Jonathan_Jetter]

Hard for me to imagine a 1983 Loire that I would recommend. If you must, go Raffault and Huet. The 85 Raffault Les Picasses can still be brilliant.

Yeah- I’ve had a good amount of '85, '89, '90 Les Picasses the past few years, probably 6-8 of each vintage. Love them to pieces. Unfortunately I think all the $100-ish stock is gone and now they’re all $300+ from dealers who just have one or two, and I’m not sure I’m willing to pay that much.

I know it’s a longshot w/ '83 Loire, but I’m curious to try and track down one or two anyway.

Appreciate the response, I think Huet’s a good idea of course and I might try and find an Olga chenin.

[Jay_Miller]

I had two great 1983 Loires last week - Dom. des Douveliers Vouvray Demi-Sec (Claude Pinon) and Olga Raffault ‘Picasses’.

Good luck finding them though…

[Pat_Martin]

One of the best Tuscan wines I’ve ever had was multiple bottles of the superb 1983 Monsanto Il Poggio Chianti Riserva. Mine are all gone and excellent provenance is extra key at this stage, but this was so good.

[Charlie_Carnes]

I am the self-declared patron saint of 83 Bordeaux and there are heaps of excellent 83s on both banks. The Margaux commune gets all the love but I like all the appellations in 83. The 83s are in a robust, blockier style than, say, the more elegant 85s but they’ve got deeper structure than the 85s and good depth of fruit. I think some 83s will last longer than their 85 counterparts, but both vintages are fully mature and have been for a while.

As others will note, provenance is key but here’s my list of 83 winners that are still drinking well (from my cellar*):
-Gruard Larose
-Leoville Poyferre
-LLC
-Talbot
-Pichon Lalande
-Lynch Bages (going strong, very underrated)
-Canon
-l’Arrosee (beautiful red fruit, Burgundian wine that is very delicate and tertiary at this stage)
-Cos d’Estournel
-Rausan Segla (awesome)
-Cantemerle (serious sleeper if you can find with goodvullage)
-Beychevelle (greener, aromatic style)
-VCC (pricey but inexpensive compared to other vintages)
-l’Evangile
-La Conseillante (lighter, crunchier style)
-La Tour Haut Brion
-Meyney (getting long in the tooth)

*I sourced mine all on the secondary market 10-12 years ago. After I tried a few and I loved, I went back and loaded up. These were quite cheap at the time.

Pichon Lalande might be my favorite in the vintage. Although Margaux, Cheval Blanc, and Brane-Cantenac are also terrific!

[Thomas_Keim]

JJ Prum ‘83s are really special.

Everybody’s '83s in Germany were special - as with the Northern Rhone -

[Claus_Jeppesen]

JJ Prum ‘83s are really special.

Everybody’s '83s in Germany were special - as with the Northern Rhone -

I agree, but JJ Prüm was / is special SPECIAL in 1983 (we need a white wine cheers emoji)

[PCLIN]

Another vote for ‘83 Cheval Blanc

[David_Kubiak]

I don’t think I saw La Mission Haut-Brion. Deeply impressive still.