From a vintage known for being best in Margaux, and here we are with a lovely example. This wine is about refinement and silky smooth texture rather than power.
Bottle is in great shape, fill into the neck, cork soaked about 2/3 way through and comes out in a single piece. Pours ruby, a bit on the light side, with a little bricking on the rim. Not unexpected at nearly 40 yrs old. The nose is classic Bordeaux. The first whiff is dominated by that wonderful cedar box, pencil shaving, sweet dried tobacco nose that Bordeaux lovers know so well. But there is fruit here too- mostly red cherry and blackberry. But the fruits smell fresh, there’s no drying out at all on the nose.
Believe it or not, the fruits are very forward in the mouth, though they are soft. Then comes the pencil shavings and wooden boxes of Bordeaux. Acidity is medium, the body is a bit thin, there are barely any tannins left. The finish is rather short, more simple on the taste than on the nose. Overall, the impression is of a wine that is simply pleasant, nice, relaxing, and gentle. It’s not mind-blowing, and frankly, is all the better for it.
It is surprising to me the wine is still holding together pleasantly after all these years. Provenance helps greatly, I would imagine.
I have a couple 96s that are drinking wonderfully but I feared they were at the tail-end of the prime drinking window. It’s great to see one more than a decade older still delivering an enjoyable experience.
I’ve had this version maybe a couple of times more than 5 years ago and I’m not surprised that it’s still in good form today. Based on my recollection, the TN captured my experiences.
Saved about 30% of the bottle overnight in the fridge. It did keep very well. On Day 2, much less of that distinctive Bordeaux quality, taking on generic old wine flavors that are not all that pleasant. Drinkable, and I’m going to do just that, but not very good. Not surprising given that it was already starting on its backslope last night.
Have you compared to ‘82? I had a ‘82 last night that was same condition, in the neck, cork soaked half way and came out in one piece. It seemed to be all but gone compared to the ‘83 I had on Valentine’s Day.
I’ve always considered this the best Prieure Lichine produced in the last 40+ years - '83 was a magical vintage for Margaux - even the little wines were a revelation -
I’d recalled that Parker was not very enthusiastic about the estate in that era, so I dug out my copy of the first edition of his Bordeaux book, from 1985. His barrel tasting note makes interesting/amusing reading. Note the anticipated maturity of 1990-2005.
It was these early remarks that made me purchase a boatload of this wine for futures offerings. I believe it was $130 a case early on? An early sample blew us away, and I’ve touted this wine ever since. It didn’t hurt that every underachiever from Margaux made superb wines that year as well. The d’Angludet was another great sleeper of the vintage.
Pleasantly surprised to find an existing thread for 1983 Prieuré-Lichine, as tonight I opened a bottle that I grabbed from K&L last November. After standing the bottle up for a number of weeks, I decanted off the sediment and served immediately with venison burgers. The cork was moderately crumbly, but soft and solid enough for a Durand to remove it with minimal drama.
Poured a promising ruby-garnet color. Beautiful aromas of dried cranberry, mint, bell pepper, fresh ginger, coffee, and raspberry truffles. On the palate it’s melted and silky, with the dried cranberry aroma really coming to the fore. Still very bright, making it a great wine for the table. The finish is long and harmonious—the mint and cranberry persist for a good minute, with the tannins holding on with just a little of grip.
Thank you to whoever looked after this bottle for its first 40 years; it was in great shape.
Very happy to see that the 1983 Prieure Lichine is still giving pleasure. I have an emotional soft spot for that wine. I “took a drive to Scarsdale” with my father to purchase a few cases of it shortly after release, when we were both early on in the accumulation and learning phase of this wine thing, and we’d share impressions now and then.
I inherited his remaining stash when he passed and continued to enjoy them for another 15 years or so, comparing his passively stored bottles to my temperature controlled ones.
I also have a soft spot for 1980s Bordeaux in general, like @Pat_Martin. I’m sipping a beautiful 1986 Beychevelle as I type this.
