Chateau Margaux 1983

JAMES SUCKLING: "This has always been said to be the best wine of the 1983 vintage in Bordeaux because the appellation of Margaux performed slightly better in 1983 than in the legendary 1982 vintage. It certainly is more structured than the 1982 Margaux. It is incredibly fresh and clean still. It´s full-bodied and tannic, structured and powerful yet shows such balance and length. Decant three hours before serving."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Still very dark, intense blackish ruby. Powerful perfume of mulberries brûlées but much fresher than that suggests - really very Margaux indeed. A little bit mineral/gravelly but perfect texture and tannins fully melted into the background. This particular bottle tastes at the top of its form. A firm line running through it an a clean, refreshing finish after beautiful classic claret balance. Pure pleasure. I could imagine that eventually when the fruit fades the acidity that is now so refreshing may be in the ascendant but for now the whole thing is glorious."

WINE SPECTATOR: "This pulls together all the glorious notes of a fully mature Margaux, with singed cedar, rooibos tea, rose water and sandalwood aromas, followed by a stunning mélange of both fresh and dried red and black fruits, including currant, cherry, raspberry and plum. The long finish lets everything drape together beautifully. Absolutely stunning, this seems in no hurry to go anywhere. Remarkably fresh and defined at this time.--Non-blind Château Margaux vertical (December 2013). Drink now through 2035."

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "As I have noted consistently, this can be a breathtaking wine, but having tasted it close to a dozen times since the last edition of this book, over half the bottles were marred by tainted corks. In fact, one would almost wonder if there was TCA problem in part of the wine storage area. The percentage of corked half-bottles is even higher than in the regular format. However, when clean this 1983, which has seemingly reached full maturity far faster than I would have guessed a mere four years ago, has a dense, murky plum/purple color and a gorgeous nose of smoked herbs, damp earth, mushrooms, and sweet creme de cassis intermixed with vanilla and violets The wine is medium to full-bodied, deep, rich, and powerful, with sweet tannins and loads of fruit concentration. Anticipated maturity: Now-2020. Last tasted, 11/02."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "I can never seem to make up my mind about which wine is better, 1982 Margaux, or is it the 1983? They seem to alternate, as to which is on top. Mature and ready for drinking, the wine is full bodied, concentrated and rich, displaying all its floral, tobacco, blackberry, earth and fresh cherry charms. There is a touch of greeness in the finish, but there is so much going on with the wine in every other sense, it´s hard to notice. Drink this beauty, or age it, either way, you are in for a treat."