Buying Birth Year - 1983 - What's Good?

WINE TALK
41

1983 was a terrific vintage for Amarone.

42

+1

43

As others have said, 83 Margaux and Cheval Blanc are outstanding, could not agree more. Thought Lafite and Palmer made fantastic wines as well. Best value is probably with California. Recall being impressed with a Heitz Martha.

44

2 years ago I had a 1983 Mongeard-Mugneret Echezeaux that certainly should still be in good shape. IIRC, it was $50 about 4 years ago when I bought it. Well worth the tariff IMO.

45

Beau, had a gorgeous 1983 Lynch Bages this weekend. And a quick look at wine-searcher, about $100.

46

Thanks for the tip, Nick. I’m going to seek it out…love that it’s in my price range too!

47

Just run this search weekly on Winebid, and you’ll see lots of options from all over within your price range. Lots of classified growth Bordeaux and other wines each week.

48

1983 Carruades is fantastic! (Moulin des Carruades on the label back then)

49

I have no dreaming idea if there’s a bottle left anywhere, but I went through a couple of cases each of Eitelsbacher Marienholz Kab and Spat from the Bischoflisches Konvikt between 86 and 2001 and they never failed to perform. It’s not an acknowledged great vintage and a producer that fell off a cliff a few years later, so if available from sound storage, they’d probably be good drinking and very reasonable.

50

Chambers has some reasonably priced 1983s in stock right now…

51

I’m also 83 and this is really interesting. I have some 83 port and german riesling but I’m looking to pick up some Bdx and Burg as well.

One of the best wine buys I’ve had in my short wine-loving career was a 4-pack of 83 JJ Prum W-S Spatlese from PC a couple years ago for $50 or $60/btl. I’ve been through 3 of them and they have been, without exception, awesome.

52

I was married in '83 (still am; same “starter” wife, too). We went on our honeymoon to Burgundy and Alsace, among other places and countries. The bug started then.

I think when it is good, and that is most/much of the time, red Burgundy from 1983, carefully cleaned and with some good aeration is as good as any vintages best stuff from 1979-1989. IMO, for interest and pleasure, only the “great” vintages since: (1990, 1999, 2002, 2005) will surpass at the heights. There is never a bad word about this vintage in Burgundy now. (It needed a long time to get great.)

Vieux Telegraph, Chave (had for our 29th this May) and La Chapelle can all be great (LChapelle can also be variable.) Not sure what Jeremy means by “smart” on the Latour Blanche, but I’ve held a few half bottles for 25+ years and one is in the fridge now…and the label fell off, so I’ll be seeing if it’s “smart” pretty soon, maybe this weekend.

Some '83 Bordeaux was/is very nice, too.

And, white Burgundy, shockingly to me, has lasted and turned out to give some real pleasure, too.
Alsace off-dry '83s, carefully chosen, can also still be good. I think some drier ones can, too, though…they’re iffy.

Though I’ve stopped buying “new” wine, I’m always looking for '83 red Burgs… that aren’t excessively priced…so…if anyone finds a source…please post.

53

It was a very good vintage on the Right Bank in Bordeaux (St. Emilion and Pomerol) – better than 82 in many people’s opinion. It was also generally quite good on the Left Bank (Medoc, Graves, Pessac). As others said, it was very good in Margaux, though Margaux had a lot of underperforming producers in that era. Many St. Juliens turned out well: Talbot and Gruaud-Larose were good and are typically cheaper because they are large properties. The only commune to avoid, I think, is St. Estephe, where the wines were not strong for some reason.

In Burgundy, there were rot problems, so you really should have information about the specific wine. It’s not a vintage where you can buy indiscriminanately. But, then, that’s almost always true.

In the Northern Rhone (Cote Rotie, Hermitage, Cornas), it could be very great, but some of the wines had very high acidity and are shrill now.

54

Chave is drinking great and if you lived in London I could let you have a bottle :slight_smile:

55

1983 Pichon Lalande last night was better than the last time I had a 1982 . . .

56

Thanks makes me feel fricken old. I have (useable) underwear older than his. And children too. [thumbs-up.gif] grouphug

57

Climens (375?) or Trimbach FE can both be great and should br around your limit.

58

Before you do anything else, spring for a subscription to [u]Wine-Searcher Professional[/u].

You don’t want to go searching for old cherries without it.

59

Charles; +1…Cantemerle is beautiful and probably on budget. I am actually planning on opening one tonight with some grilled lamb. I will add a TN to this thread tomorrow .



Beau;

I also agree on the Beaucastel and Chave. …finding the Chave at your price point would be tough.


Cheers!
Marshall [cheers.gif]

60

LOL!

If he’d said 1993, that would probably be true of me.