Chateau Lafite Rothschild 1982

Decanter: "The structure, sense of power and overall force made Mouton one of the most compelling wines of this tasting. Richer, deeper and headier than the Lafite with liquorice, tobacco, truffle, dark fruits, coffee and graphite. Full, bold, upfront, this is a big wine still with muscle and sinew clearly on show. You can feel the construction, delicately put together but building to a powerful, complete and generous whole. Still lots of life, with mouthwatering acidity, a delicious crushed stone texture and spiced edges on the finish. Winemaker at the time Michel Bosq."

The Wine Advocate: "The 1982 Lafite Rothschild is at the peak of its powers today, and the two bottles I drank this year were both exceptional. Wafting from the glass with aromas of sweet red berries and blackcurrants mingled with notions of cedar chest, cigar box, camphor and dried flowers, it's medium to full-bodied, supple and seamless, with an effortlessly elegant, harmonious profile and a long, fragrant finish. While this is far from being the most powerful Médoc of the vintage, it is among the most pleasurable."

Weinwisser: "Leuchtendes Granat, mitteldunkel. Nobles Bouquet, etwas zurückhaltend, Sandelholz, Earl-Grey-Noten, Lakritze, Trüffel und eine ausladende Cabernet-Wärme aufweisend. Im Gaumen royal, fein, tänzerisch, mit viel Parfüm im Innern, ein vielleicht tendenziell defensiver, wenig kommunikativer Grand Vin, den man verglichen mit anderen 82er Premiers sicherlich strafen würde. Konkurrenzlos getrunken wirkt er wie eine träumerische Mussestunde. Grundsätzlich ist der 82er nicht wahnsinnig konzentriert und auch schon reif, aber das ist keine Schande, sondern eben Lafite! Meine bisher beste Note für diesen von mir oft auch kritisch betrachteten Pauillac."

The Wine Cellar Insider: "Elegant, refined, medium-bodied, soft, fresh and aromatic, this is probably at, or close to full maturity. The red fruits display a beautiful, earthy, cedar, tobacco, herbal, leafy, spicy profile. Texturally, this is a wine of finesse and silky, with length and depth of flavor. Decanted about 1 hour, this was a great bottle of the 82, which can often vary in quality."

James Suckling: "I am impressed with the loads of ripe fruit with almost dried raspberries and blackberries and a minty undertone on the nose. It's full bodied, with bay leaf, berries that turn to mineral undertones. It's full-bodied, with round tannins and a lingering finish of chocolate, cedar and other woods. I would leave it another three to four years to soften and open just a tiny bit; otherwise, decant three hours in advance."

Falstaff: "Kräftiges Rubingranat, gute Farbtiefe, orangefarbene Reflexe, breiterer Wasserrand. In der Nase feines florales Bukett, nach Herzkirschen, zart nach Orangenzesten, Lakritze und Brombeeren klingen an, floral nach Lilien, ein Hauch von Zedernholz, Steinpilzen und Schokolade. Am Gaumen komplex, dabei saftig und elegant, extraktsüße Frucht, präsente Tannine, etwas schwarzer Tee, leicht adstringent, hat den robusten Kern aller guten 82er, hat Tiefgang, dunkle Schokolade, aber auch Nuancen von roter Frucht im Abgang, sehr gute Länge, ausgezeichnetes weiteres Reifepotenzial. !"

Jancis Robinson: "Not the most concentrated nor long-living 1982 though lovely to drink now. Perfumed, mineral, salty, long and juicy with a slightly drying finish. But overall transparent and nervy with some fine Lafite quality."

Wine Spectator: " Dark ruby red. Mineral, berry and mint. Full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long finish. A silky, seductive wine."