| Rating |
98 RP - At one time I thought the 1983 was the more classic and better effort from Chateau Margaux, but I am human, and the 1982 has overtaken the 1983, and is obviously the superior effort. It started off life as a somewhat ruggedly constructed, powerful, masculine, even coarse style of Chateau Margaux with high levels of tannin, huge extract, and richness. Increasingly civilized, with the tannin becoming seamlessly integrated, this opaque purple/garnet-colored wine offers up hints of incense, sweet truffles, smoke, black currants, flowers, and damp earth. Very full-bodied, with remarkable levels of glycerin, extract, and tannin, this is probably the largest-scaled, most concentrated Chateau Margaux under the Mentzelopoulos administration. It is doubtful it will ever rival the 1990.996, or 2000 for pure finesse or elegance, and in spite of its high levels of tannin, does not seem to have the classicism of these vintages, but this wine goes from strength to strength and is quickly becoming one of the all-time compelling efforts of Chateau Margaux. RP |
