The 1982 and 1989 comparison is interesting. I love both wines, but I find they are very different. The '89 is was I mentioned in a previous post, is archetypal Pichon Lalande, with a core of herb (not bell pepper) and leather and cedar, while the 1982 is a richer more conventional wine, a product of the vintage, where the Merlot really was perfect, and the wine shows tell-tale chocolate elements as well as the cassis of the Cabernet.
I have scored the 1982 on one occasion a 100 when it wasn’t just singing, but belting it out, but most of the time, bottles seem to settle in the 97 point range, which is about what I score the 1989.
Back on the unloved 1990, I was ‘disappointed’ the first few times I tried it, but somewhat as a victim of the conventional wisdom. I think it is also a victim of the wines made across the road at Baron and neighbours Latour and LLC which also excelled in that year according to the conventional wisdom. Being Pichon Lalande and being 1990 it was a cock up only exceeded by what happened a few miles up the road at Mouton Rothschild.
The last time I drank The 1990 I managed to erase all that stuff out of my head and analyse it for what it was. It is a very pleasant medium weight claret, which is drinking beautifully. Nothing mind blowing and no finish that never quits, but very enjoyable in a relaxed low key kind of way. Exactly the same as the last Mouton 90 I drank around the same time, though the Mouton has a bit more excitement and exoticism. Of course neither are worth remotely what you would pay for them.
My scores for the 1989 would range from something like 92 for the surly bottles and 97 for the magnificent ones. I remember in Paris a few years ago it skulked while being outshone by an exuberantly brilliant a point 1985 Palmer.
My ranges for the 1982 would be 94-100, less well stored bottles can be a bit tired. The two vintages which never cease to amaze me are 1979 and 1981, which in my experience are generally holding up better than the 1983 and even the 1988.
Ian, have you ever had the 1980? I’ve had it 3 times in the last year and a half, and like your 79 and 81, the 80 amazes me each time, scoring 93-94 pts.
I am also a fan of the 1979 and 1981 PLL - don’t recall ever having tasted the 1980. Pretty much agree with Mark G’s take on the 1982 and 1989. As to the 1990, never had a bottle that I liked very much. When tasted side by side, I much preferred the 1991 to the 1990 though both were over-shadowed by the 1989.
Patrick I have never tried - nor seen - a 1980 Pichon Lalande, but would love to try one.
I would also love to try a 1980 Chateau Margaux.
How come we virtually never see any 1980 Bordeaux in the US or UK market anymore? We don’t see 84s or 87s either. Have they all been drank or tipped down the drain?
Neither vintage reached the US market, both mediocre and both priced higher than the better years that preceded them. Suspect the UK did not buy either.
They remained basically unsold with the negotiants, ended up in French supermarkets, where they were sold at cost or close to it. The Bordelais were not quite as sophisticated as they are today; one producer explained that 1984 was a small vintage, and therefore they had to charge more to keep revenues the same.
Not 100% accurate, Mark - although neither vintage did much commercially here, I can recall buying both the '84 & '87 Gruaud Larose and PLL from (I think) Garnet on close-out for between $10-15 a bottle.
Neither vintage was built to age, but at the time GL was doing a good job in lousy vintages, and the '84 was a pretty decent “luncheon claret”. The '87 PLL was actually a nice wine as well, but dilute.
I don’t recall the exact details now, but the 1990 PL was surrounded by controversy. Reportedly, there was a scandal with the winemaker, who was accused of using imported wine of some kind. The local authorities got involved (I remember hearing about some arrests) and the winemaker was fired. I’ve been told that much of the 1990 vintage was awful as a result. However, there was some “real” 1990 made and sold.
This might explain the high degree of variation people have reported on this thread. I’ve experienced the same thing myself. Many of the bottles I’ve had have been downright terrible. But every now and again, I’d have a beautiful one.
Bob,
Chateau and Estates bought every year, so yes, some did indeed come to the US. But the quantities were small compared to other vintages in the 1980s, and almost none of it sold as futures, and the rest went at close out. But compared to other vintages, quantities sold were minimal, and the other Bordeaux buyers here bought nothing other than what was presold.
One chateau, Las Cases, did not sell its wine as 1984 as futures, preferring to wait. When they did sell it, they did reasonably well, as it was a very good wine, and people who tasted it bought. I had a bottle a year or so ago, and it was still pretty good.
For some context, I remember that the US market still had 1983s and some 1982s available at retail when the the 1985s were being offered in Spring of '86, and although the trade bought, it took a while for consumers to buy in turn. Absolutely nobody was buying 1984 unless at rock bottom prices. Also I was buying Chave 1984 on close out at $11 bottle.
Yeah, in retrospect, it is funny how the '82 vintage did hang around for a while in retail stores - while I didn’t buy any futures, even when the '85 futures were being made available, you could still pick up the '82 Margaux for around $70 a bottle.
I have been fortunate to have had more of the “real” stuff than the awful batch. I bought most of the wines from Frank Crandel of Renegade Wines here in Santa Barbara. Frank had a “gray” source that came one step removed from the Chateau.
Ah! Thank you Mark, makes perfect sense…that stuff all ended up in Leclerc and other French supermarkets…last time I was there the shelves were stacked with 2013s…