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From: alan@mtxinu.UUCP (Alan Tobey)
Newsgroups: net.wines
Subject: Re: Aging 1982 Red Bordeaux
Message-ID: <349@mtxinu.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 17-Apr-85 18:17:23 EST
Article-I.D.: mtxinu.349
Posted: Wed Apr 17 18:17:23 1985
Date-Received: Sat, 20-Apr-85 07:07:42 EST
References: <571@tpvax.fluke.UUCP>
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Organization: mt Xinu, Berkeley, CA
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> I am seeking advice for aging red wine properly, and I am wondering if
> anyone has heard anything in particular about '82 red Bordeaux.
> 
> I read somewhere (I wish I remember where) that 1982 was the best year for
> red Bordeaux since one year in the late 40's.  The article also said that
> '82 red Bordeaux wines that are currently selling for around $13.00 will
> sell for twice that price as early as July because of the quality of the '82
> grapes from Bordeaux and the demand for this vintage.

I've tasted about 40 different 82 Bordeaux in various blind tastings
and over all districts and traditional quality levels, and I'm so far
very unimpressed.  The reason this vintage is getting so much press
is that the grapes reached extreme -- almost unprecedented -- levels
of ripeness in '82.  This means that alcohol levels are exceptionally
high for Bordeaux -- often reaching 13.5 or 14% without addition of
sugar to the must, where a "normal" year would produce wines of
11.5-12% after sugar addition.  Correspondingly, acid levels are
lower than normal -- acidity declines with ripeness.

What do they taste like?  If you like California Cabernet, you'll
probably like some of the '82 Bordeaux -- very ripe, fat grape flavors
that sometimes verge on the raisiny, sometimes "hot" from obvious
alcohol, often rather flabby from lower acid levels, only medium tannin.

Why are they popular?  Merchants of Bordeaux are among the world's best
at hyping their product, and "vintage of the [insert your favorite
long time period]" talk is never far from their lips.  Wines that are
dramatic (or, in my opinion, melodramatic) appeal to people in an
immediate way, put out a lot up front, and don't take a lot of experience
to place in context or enjoy.  Yes, they may appreciate in value --
but look for a lot of "distress" sales of overstocked 82's once the
pipeline fills up and the Bordelaise start hyping the allegedly
excellent 83s ("the best vintage since 82 at least!").

Are there good ones? Yes, of course.  In my opinion the best regions 
in 82 were St-Emilion and Pomerol -- better than the more well-known
Medoc areas (St-Estephe, Pauillac, St-Julien, Margaux).  This derives
mostly from grape differences: St-Em & Pomerol favor Merlot and
Cabernet Franc, the Medoc favors Cabernet Sauvignon.  The Sauvignons
exaggerate the tendencies toward raisiness and flabby, jammy flavors;
while the Cab Franc and especially the Merlot were more optimally
ripe and generally less overripe at harvest.  Every Pomerol I've tasted
has been at least interesting and lively -- and the rare and expensive
La Conseillante unbelieveably fine.  St-Em's are more mixed, with wines
from the western part of the region (Ch. Canon and neighbors) better than
those near the town.  Personally, I'm not buying ANY 82 Medocs to lay down.

Will they improve?  The genuinely great ones will; but the big,
dramatic, low-acid ones will do what California Cabernets of the same
style do:  tend to fall apart into dull, flat boring bottles after a
few years.  California is learning that acidity carries fruit through the
aging period;  buyers of 82 Bordeaux will learn that early drama is
no guarantee of later quality.

What to buy?  79s and 80s are better (in the sense of "more classic")
and are becoming very drinkable.  81s are generally very interesting,
with fine, somewhat restrained fruit and just the right tannic backbone
to improve through the decade.  83s are reputed to be big, hard austere
wines with lots of depth and will certainly require extended aging;
in some sense they're the mirror image of 82s, tough to enjoy or
appreciate now but promising rewards for the patient.

		In Vino Hyperbole,

		Alan Tobey
		Mt Xinu, Berkeley
		ucbvax!mtxinu!alan