Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 1982

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: 100 THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "WOW! Just the visuals of this wine in the glass lets you know, you are in for a treat. Mind boggling intensity, concentration and depth of raw materials are at play here. The fruit takes over your palate and stays there for a full 60 seconds. The aromatics combine wet earth, smoke, tar and notes of an unlit Behike cigar. I know this because I had one handy and was trying to show my girlfriend what cigar wrapper scents were like, and I grabbed the best example I could find. The tannins and there, but with fully polished edges. This is what great, aged Bordeaux is all about."

JAMES SUCKLING: "La Mission really does have its own character. Full body with velvety tannins with hints of berry, gravel and iodine. Some may not like the later but it tells you it’s La Mission. What a wine. Drink now."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "Tasted blind at Chez Bruce in London, a bottle of impeccable provenance—the 1982 La Mission Haut Brion—has proven to be a little variable in recent years. Here, it has a gorgeous bouquet that is very well defined, with dark berry fruit, potpourri and a hint of brine. It feels a little backward at first yet soon opens up, the fruit gaining more and more intensity until peaking at around 30-40 minutes. The palate displays firm structure on the entry, quite masculine with good grip. There is a fine, earthy character to this La Mission along with class and focus. Yet I found more sophistication on the 1982 La Tour Haut-Brion served alongside. It just does not quite deliver that killer blow on the finish that would have elevated it to the realms of, say, the 1989 or 1990. It is probably at its peak now but should continue that way for many years. Tasted June 2016."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Slightly rustic, but firm and youthful. Dark ruby color. Beautiful aromas of berries and stones, with a hint of black truffles. Medium- to full-bodied, with silky tannins and a long, spicy-stony finish.--1982 Bordeaux horizontal. Best from 2000 through 2010."