Epic Tasting of '82 Bordeaux (all blind) Margaux, Haut-Brion, Mouton, Lafite, Latour, Lafleur, etc

Eric Asimov, Eric LeVine, Roy Hersh, Don Cornutt and I, along with 11 others, including unbelievably gracious host Mark Taylor were fortunate enough to be part of a truly incredible tasting of '82 Bordeaux, organized by Yves Durand at Mark’s home/art gallery in Atlanta. I promised Eric Asimov he’d get first publishing of the event, but it was difficult for the rest of us to hold back, as it was an incredible experience any wine lover would be honored to be part of, as I was - very much so.

I believe all but one bottle (or thereabouts) was from Mark’s cellar, bought on release, and if I could come away with one key point of information, it is that proper storage, and fully trackable provenance was absolutely key. You’ll read why, most obviously in flight 2 of the evening.

Here is Eric Asimov’s piece on the evening - http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/dining/reviews/tasting-bordeaux-from-1982.html?_r=2&ref=dining

I’ll leave the quality writing to the professionals, and just post my notes, as I took them down during the event.

Each flight was served blind, and we were to write our notes on the sheet, and were assigned one wine each flight to discuss (12 of us were assigned with verbalizing our thoughts, with two persons each bottle, each flight.) It was a fantastic exercise for me, and I imagine many others who were present - most of whom were VERY experienced Bordeaux drinkers, and fancied themselves experts on identification (as we also made an exercise of trying to identify which wines were which, matching bottle numbers with the wines listed on the sheets), which often had interesting results. Great company, phenomenal wines, and exquisite hosts in Mark and Judith Taylor.

All vintages 1982 unless otherwise noted

First flight:

Chateau La MIssion Haut-Brion
Chateau Pichon-Lalande
Chateau Gruaud-Larose
Chateau Beychevelle
Chateau Figeac
Chateau Lynch-Bages

Notes: Bottle 1 - Classic vintage Bordeaux nose of graphite, musky flowers, but some bright cherry notes hint at youth. Mouthfeel a bit soft, rather sweet fruit, more graphite on the finish. My 1st in the flight, overall 5th. (Lynch-Bages - I guessed Pichon-Lalande)

Bottle 2 - So much graphite at first, I thought it was the pencil in my hand (and I subsequently switched to a pen). The nose is otherwise very reticent. Still quite tannic, but well developed - definitely has time left. LONG finish. My 3rd choice, overall 2nd (Beychevelle - I guessed correctly)

Bottle 3 - Interesting nose - metallic (iron), slight hint of pickle juice (which made me think of American oak), beautiful initial mouthfeel, acidic, but almost vinegar-like. My 5th, overall 3rd (Figeac - I guessed correctly)

Bottle 4 - Fantastic balanced nose, silky mouthfeel, finish a bit bitter but long, sweet, complex. My 2nd in the flight, overall 1st. (Pichon-Lalande - I guessed La MIssion Haut-Brion)

Bottle 5 - Nose tight (too cold?) but starting to emerge. Big, lush mouthfeel, long finish. My 4th, overall 4th (Gruaud-Larose, I guessed correctly - note that I was TRULY guessing, I had no idea)

Bottle 6 - Perfumed, slightly raisined nose, lots of acid, mature tannins, great finish. My 6th, overall 6th (La Mission Haut-Brion - the one bottle in this flight that was not from Mark’s cellar, so likely it was cooked from inconsistent storage. I guessed Lynch-Bages)

Second Flight

(This was almost entirely First Growths, and I literally could NOT come up with a favorite - not a single one stood out, and it was the most incredible display of excellence in a flight that I could ever conceive. Simultaneously staggering and humbling)

Chateau Margaux
Chateau Haut-Brion
Chateau Mouton-Rothschild
Chateau Lafite-Rothschild
Chateau Latour
Chateau Cheval-Blanc

Bottle 1: Nose was strong and beautiful at first, but closed down after a short while. Strong, perfumed, leather, cherries immediately on the palate, a burst of sweetness as soon as it hits your mouth, dusty tannins, long finish. (Latour - I guessed correctly)

Bottle 2: Rustic, graphite, earthy - smells still very young. Strongest acidic profile of the wines thus far, nice silky mouthfeel, dusty tannins, seems so young - to me, the youngest showing of the wines thus far, beautiful fruit (Mouton - I guessed correctly)

Bottle 3: Another beautiful nose, cedar, leather, berries, also huge acidic profile, sweet fruits, graphite, this wine screams both elegance and rustic (Lafite - I guessed correctly)

Bottle 4: Nose tight, very well balanced, tannins seem fully developed but the acid hints at further life. Beautiful finish, nose opening up after a short time in the glass. (Haut-Brion, I guessed Margaux)

Bottle 5: A bit musty on the nose, but pleasant. Very clean and perfumed. Beautiful rich and silky mouthfeel, finish accelerates quickly and lasts quite long - fantastic finish on this wine. (Margaux, I guessed Haut-Brion)

Bottle 6: Unique nose - I can’t get much from it, but this wine really emerges on the palate, and gets HUGE. Big fruit, explosive profile. The finish is rather big as well, but fades slowly, as it would have to, since it starts so big. I’m guessing Merlot on this (Cheval Blanc, I guessed correctly)

Note again that if I guessed ANY correctly, it was more sheer luck than any sort of experience. I haven’t had but a tiny percentage of these wines in any vintage, much less experience with '82’s. I’m not claiming any sort of expertise - I’m a mere dazzled observer…

Third Flight

Chateau Lafleur
Chateau Cos D’Estournel
Chateau L’Avangile
Chateau Le Gay
Chateau Ducru-Beaucaillou
Chateau Leoville-Las-Cases

Bottle 1: (first bottle corked) 2nd bottle - I was unsure if I had properly rinsed my glass of the previous wine, as I got more hints of TCA in the 2nd bottle’s pour. Bright fruit, however, which would suggest otherwise, and lots of minerals. My 4th choice in the flight - we did not rank these for overall placement (Leoville-Las-Cases, I guessed correctly)

Bottle 2: Some floral and fruit perfume is coming through on the nose - nice, but still shy. Seems to have a HINT of TCA (Roy Hersh agreed with me, but others vehemently stated it did not - not that they didn’t notice it, but rather that ‘it did not’. I found that amusing…) Rich mouthfeel, long finish, pretty explosive on the fruit profile. Nose became much more expressive after a short while. My 2nd in the flight (Ducru-Beaucaillou, I guessed Lafleur)

Bottle 3: Another shy nose - subtle but elegant, what comes through. Tannic, fruit still seems hidden behind all the structure in this wine, very long finish. My 3rd in the flight (Cos D’Estournel, I guessed L’Evangile)

Bottle 4: I get stewed fruits, so I suspect this is slightly cooked. Strong metallic character on the flavor profile - something is not right with this wine. My 6th in the flight (Lafleur - I guessed Le Gay)

Bottle 5: Very tight nose yet again - bright acidic mouthfeel, bright fruit, bit of earth, seems slightly advanced in the sweetness of the fruit, dusty small tannins. My 5th in the flight (Le Gay, I guessed Ducru-Beaucaillou)

Bottle 6: Color seems quite bright, beautiful nose, complex - saddle leather, flowers, cherries, really nice and seems young. Beautiful silky mouthfeel, good weight, medium length finish. Easily the best of this flight, this was my 1st in the flight (L’Evangile, I guessed Cos)

Of course, ANY flight of ANY wines would suffer after that 2nd flight, and this could not be more true. We all often mentioned that none of us would be disappointed in any of the wines of the 3rd flight (or any of the wines, but those that were flawed) if sitting at dinner. It’s just damn near impossible to stand up to the level of excellence that flight 2 shared with us all…

Now, you’d think we were done, but Mark Taylor’s generosity knows no bounds, and he decided on another blind flight, this of Burgundy (and one Pinot Noir from our shores). I, somehow, guessed each of these correctly! (Yves, I’m waiting for my Durand Gold Medal!)

Bottle 1: 1990 Leroy Nuit St Georges Les Vignerons, my 3rd choice
Bottle 2: Corked
Bottle 3: 1994 Domaine Romanee-Conti Richebourg, my 5th choice (as I felt it was too advanced, somewhat flawed)
Bottle 4: 1997 Leroy Vosne Romanee, my overwhelming 1st choice (amazing nose on this wine)
Bottle 5: 1999 Leroy Clos du Vougeot, my 2nd choice
Bottle 6: 2005 Arcadian Francesca Pinot Noir, my 4th choice

Eric, Roy, Don and others who were there…please add your own notes, and we can finally now share this incredible experience (at least with our notes and reviews) with the Wine Berserkers…

Thank you so much, Mark Taylor, for letting me be a part of this momentous occasion. One I’ll likely never have the opportunity to repeat!

Wow, what an incredible line up. You are moving into Ray T territory.

It is most fortuitous that this tasting occurred when it did, as almost all of the wines were purchased by Mark, on release, and remained in his cellar. Normally that is significant, but never as significant as now, it would seem. To experience wines that were so perfectly stored was a revelation.

very nice. I’ve had 3 or 4 of those (the Mouton, LLC and a couple others) but to taste them all together… /jealous.

Probably the last “greatest” Bordeaux vintage for me. I do love a lot of wines and vintages up to and including 2000, but there is just something special about 1982. As a group they have been the best to drink at ten to fifteen years old of any vintage sence. Thanks for the great notes Todd. The 1982 La Mission was the epiphany for me.

Man, I read the Asimov article where I saw he dissed the 82 La Mission. I was looking all over for a place to respond, but nothing. Good to see that people here thought the 82 La Mission was either one of the best, or the best. For me, it is the best of the '82 I have had (have tried Ducru Beaucaillou, Leovilles las Cases twice, Leoville Barton, Pichon Lalande, Haut Brion, Grand Puy Lacoste twice).

Thanks Todd. Nice tasting.

I totally agree.

Todd, did you discuss the wines before guessing or are those really blind guesses? If the latter, well done indeed! Of course you were fooled by the old “it’s my favorite, must be the '82 Pichon-Lalande” trick!

Craig, as I disclosed, mine were complete guesses. I have no previous experience on these wines to fall back on, and I never said 'oh, that tastes like ‘82 Mouton!’, so I got lucky once in a while, that’s all! We did discuss after tasting, but with 12 voters, we had 24 votes, much like Wine Berserkers…

[worship.gif] [worship.gif] [worship.gif]

Nearly every bottle came from Mark Taylor’s cellar, but the 1982 LMHB was my contribution, a bottle purchased from Acker in 2005. Provenance is everything, and this was not an ideal bottle. (BTW, it was an easy pick as the LMHB based on the lovely, smoky chicory.) I hope to get my notes up soon. It was an amazing evening, and Mark is a mind-blowingly generous host.

Where’s your dedication, Eric? I spent a solid 30 minutes putting my notes into this thread! Go for it!

And where’s Roy?

Thanks for the great report, Todd. “Epic” is correct. Regarding Flight #2… A few years ago, I hosted a similar deal, with 14 wines plus a few Champagnes, also from 1982. After our 3rd flight, which was the first growths, my friend Jim Wagner said, “Now we know why the first growths are first growths, and the others are not.” I had to agree with him. BTW, our top vote getter was Latour, with Haut Brion a very close second. That was “epic” too, until the very end when The Moocher struck yet again. He had agreed to provide '83 Yquem. He showed up with '86, two half bottles picked up from some second rate retailer’s close-out bin, cooked to death. The Moocher is a wealthy guy with a fine cellar, but he just can’t bring himself to share.

Whoops, misread the original post. I thought the notes on the Pichon Lalande were the LMHB, but that was just the guess.

The 82 LMHB, when it is on, is a distinctively smoky, dark fruited wine that strikes me as having a different profile from many of the Haut Medoc wines. Of course, the best comparison might normally be an Haut Brion, although the single bottle of '82 Haut Brion I tasted was a bit off. In contrast, a 1975 Haut Brion in perfect condition was more in the style–almost black in color, smoky, complex. Everything you could want in a wine…

And where’s Roy?

Writing up my TN on the Port that I brought. neener

In all seriousness, it was a fantastic evening of Bordeaux and so nice to finally meet Mark, Yves, Eric A. and yes, Mr. French as well as a few others that I’ve only read about. [cheers.gif] It figures I have to travel all the way to ATL to hang out with Mr. CT.

I was blown away by these beautiful bottles and some of the Burgs too, but there were so many highlights. Mark was amazingly generous and his family’s art gallery, er, home … was just amazing.

Less than a week later, I was in NY for a Madeira tasting that I co-hosted, with amazing Terrantez drinking nicely at over 250 years of age, with a handful from the 18th century. It put things in perspective. That said, the 1982 horizontal was one of the greatest lineups of Bordeaux I’ve ever been a part of and I doubt I’ll ever taste so many extraordinary bottlings of claret in one sitting anytime soon.

When I am done with my Madeira article, I will try to find time to come back here and put my notes on this Forum. Thanks for the heads up Todd. Now to go read Asimov’s take on the event.

For that number of people, was there one bottle or two of each wine?

Sorry to read that two of my favorite 82s, LMHB and Lafleur (IMO the wine of the vintage) didn’t show well. The metallic note is a telltale for brett, to me, and the Robin sisters weren’t known for pristine cellar conditions in those days. My bottles have been clean, fortunately.

Interesting flighting.

Perhaps time to do a 30 year retro in LA…

Like some others, I’ve only been fortunate enough to taste a handful of these wines (Mouton and Pichon Lalande twice, and a single Gruaud-Larose, LMHB, and LLC). Outside of these, I’ve had a few Leoville Barton and (I think) a lone Beychevelle. My expertise is thus nil and I wouldn’t suspect I could identify any of these wines. As a result, this thread is foreign in so many ways as I simply don’t play in this league (and I’m one of a scant few wine geeks in my circle of friends). But with that being said, I love threads like this - informative, appreciative, passionate, and envy-inducing (in a healthy way) without any pretension whatsoever. Gatherings like this speak well for our shared hobby/obsession - I think most, but not all do - and this time, it seems worth mentioning.

There’s a reason why Eric writes for the NY Times. A very fine article and it just begins to show the greatness of this tasting. Then there was Mark’s lovely wife showing us around the art exhibited all over the place, it was like listening to a brilliant docent. Really impressive and sweet of Mrs. Taylor.

What is also amazing is that the bottles came from the cellar of a lover of wine, Mark Taylor, willing to share these gems that he had purchased many years ago and allowed to age in his own wine cellar. For that reason, it would be hard to duplicate this exact tasting as few people are likely to have bought all of those particular '82’s on release. Even with great provenance like that you can still have some bottle variation, as we experienced. But the likelihood of the bottles showing as well as they did is certainly going to be much higher, imo, than with bottles purchased in the past decade or so from auction. [cheers.gif]

Again, thanks to Mark and also to Yves and all the other participants. A memorable day into night and one I’ll never forget!

Looks like a super tasting and what a nice recap of it and of the importance of the vintage by Eric. It’s a shame about the '82 La Mish. When it’s on it’s simply stunning and probably my favorite after the '89.

This was a special tasting. Lots of great people. It was wonderful to finally meet Todd and the Erics in person. Good to see my buddy Roy Hersh too. Several of us from Atlanta were very fortunate to experience this. Mark has been a long time collector and is very generous. I did scribble a few notes. Except for the LMHB, all the wines came from a cellar that is maintained at 53 F if I remember correctly. All bought on release. With the exception of the Latour (which I thought was partially corked), Mark’s wines were stunning examples.

I didn’t include my guesses because they were so bad. It was a fun game however.

Flight One

Wine One-
At first a reticent nose, but then it evolved into a very focused precise dark fruited beauty. Some element of graphite. The palate is precise and really reminded me of classic Pauillac. Long finish.

Wine Two- Very sweet nose. Compelling. Floral elements. The palate is medium concentrated and quite elegant. There is a red fruited dimension here despite the ripeness. A very sexy finish. I loved it.

Wine Three- This wine had a distinct dark fruited nose with an element of cedar that I equate with Figeac. The palate is concentrated and dark fruited. Complex. Terrific length. There is an herbal component here that is almost Cabernet Franc like. Terrific.

Wine Four- A nice nose that is loaded with savory elements and dark fruit. Some element of sweetness from the ripeness. The palate is medium concentrated and complex. Very long finish. Complex.

Wine Five - This wine has a wonderful nose. Savory in a way. Dark fruit and focused. There is an element of cedar that confuses me at first. I was thinking Figeac but this is more concentrated. There is an amazing finish here.

Wine Six- Sweet fruit on the nose. Some element that reminds me of menthol. Almost soft in character. Elegant. Black fruit on the palate which is subtle in character. The palate shows some tannin. There is good complexity here.

\

  1. Lynch Bages
  2. Beychevelle
  3. Figeac
  4. Pichon-Lalande
  5. Gruaud-Larose
  6. La Mission Haut Brion

These wines were nice but the next set was something special.


Flight Two


Wine One
- Musty nose. I thought this was partially corked. There is a gorgeous nose of dark focused fruit. Graphite element mixed in with the musty note. Stunning equilibrium. This has to be either Mouton or Latour despite the handicap.

Wine Two- Focused dark fruit here. A much better nose. Pauillac in character. The palate is less concentrated to me than wine one. Fabulous complexity and length. Stunning.

Wine Three- This wine is delicate and feminine in a way. Dark fruit. Beautiful balance. Long finish which shows tannin still. Beautiful.

Wine Four- Coffee, cedar and some herbal elements on the nose fused with dark fruit. The palate is gorgeous. Earthy. Very long finish.

Wine Five- This has almost no nose for a few minutes. You then get this very subtle dark fruit nose. The palate on the other hand shows good density. Amazing complexity and an explosive finish. This wine really takes off in the mouth with some heat. Young and stunning. A real wow wine!

Wine Six. Sexy nose. Darker fruit that is subtle. Shows the softer side. The palate is medium concentrated and shows a wonderful balance. Sexy texture. A very long finish.

\

  1. Latour (an off bottle)
  2. Mouton
  3. Lafite
  4. Haut Brion
  5. Margaux ( a real surprise… I would have sworn this was Latour)
  6. Cheval Blanc

No reason to rank these. They are all great wines and individual too!




Flight Three

Wine One
- Dark sexy fruit on the nose. Very good focus. Earthy and long in the mouth. Very good length.

Wine Two- Again dark sexy fruit but an element of elegance here that the first wine doesn’t have. Fabulous equilibrium. Long in the mouth. Nice!

Wine Three- This wine is very dark and very dense. This is old school Bordeaux as my buddy Michael McNeil would say. It is not elegant but powerful and animal. There is lots of tannin still and the wine needs significant time to flush out
any complexity. I thought this wine was almost simple but that was an underestimation due to the absolute density here. Some loved this. (Including Eric Asimov)

Wine Four- This to me has a very sweet nose. A little jammy. This is like a California merlot in many ways. A very nice wine but doesn’t show as much complexity as wine six which is its soul mate.

Wine Five- Sexy nose. Some darker fruit that is soft in character. The finish here is the shortest of the lot.

Wine Six- My personal favorite. Here you have a very sexy nose. Gorgeous fruit that has some red character and is laced with coffee and some element of earth. The palate shows fabulous balance. A very long finish. Excellent!

A difficult flight after the first growths.

\

  1. Leoville Las Cases
  2. Ducru Beaucaillou
  3. Cos d’Estournel
  4. Lafleur
  5. Le Gay
  6. L’Evangile (wonderful stuff)

I missed the Burgundies because I had to scoot back to the house out of state. From what Todd wrote, they look pretty good!

A real treat to meet so many. See some old friends too. Mark is one of the most generous people on the planet. I always appreciate getting to share some wine with him.
Yves. You did a very good job with the tasting. Thanks.