Classification of the best wines of the 1982 vintage by region

Quality of 1982 vintage wines

What should we think of 1982 wines in French vineyards? A legendary vintage :  1982, the great year. Today we present you with a classification of the best 1982 wines in Bordeaux, Burgundy and Rhône. This is one of the greatest vintages ever, particularly for Bordeaux grands crus, but also for wines from the northern Rhône Valley.

The 1982 vintage was never going to be normal. For a start, as Christian Moueix points out, "it was a perfect summer, like those of 1989 and 2005". For Jean-Bernard Delmas, then head of Haut-BrionIt was a hot, dry summer chair, so there was no disease and no insects to worry about". He wasn't exaggerating. Winter had been mild, April was dry and sunny and, apart from a few scattered hailstorms, May was just as promising. June and July provided an excellent mix of sunshine and showers, albeit very hot. While August and early September, with temperatures reaching 30°, did not damage the grapes or prevent early harvesting - by September 15, the result was a Merlot with over 13% of potential alcohol, even more than the Cabernet, which exceeded 12% - levels then considered remarkable.

Our 1982 wines in the cellar 

The best wines from 1982 in Bordeaux

An extraordinary vintage in terms of both quality and quantity. Near-perfect weather conditions resulted in an overabundant harvest, with extraordinarily ripe grapes. The majority of châteaux produced perfect yields and incredibly complex, rich and concentrated wines. Comparable to 1961, 1945 and 1929, the 1982 vintage is truly a legendary vintage in Bordeaux. Slightly inferior in their early years, the sweet wines now reveal extraordinary richness. 

Classification of the best 1982 Bordeaux wines

• Château Lafleur
• Château Latour
• Le Pin
• Mouton Rothschild
• Gruaud Larose
• The Gospel
• Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande
• Lafite Rothschild
• Le Gay
• Château Margaux

Source : Wine Advocate

Our 1982 wines in the cellar 

The best 1982 wines in Burgundy

Ideal spring conditions in Burgundy in 1982 enabled early and abundant flowering. Summer was dry and hot until August, with significant rainfall. Ripening took place in September under perfect weather conditions: plenty of sunshine and high temperatures, and these conditions were maintained throughout the harvest period, which ended in the first week of October.

Classification of the best 1982 wines in Burgundy

• Domaine Ramonet Montrachet Grand Cru
• Domaine de la Romanée-Conti Montrachet Grand Cru
• Domaine Chevalier Père et Fils Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru
• Domaine Clair-Daü Bonnes Mares Vieilles Vignes Grand Cru
• Domaine Coche-Dury Meursault Village
• Domaine Henri Jayer Echézeaux Grand Cru

Source : Wine Advocate

Our 1982 wines in the cellar 

The best 1982 Rhône Valley wines

A very hot vintage. The best wines were very good, rich and powerful, with good structure. The same was true of the whites, which were rich and high in alcohol. South: many wines were candied and baked, and did not age particularly well (Condrieu lacked acidity and developed rapidly). Note that the Ermitage, Châteauneuf du Pape and Côte-Rôtie appellations are great 1982 wines for the most part. 

Classification of the best 1982 Rhône Valley wines

• Guigal Cote Rotie la Mouline
• Chave Hermitage White
• Guigal Cote Rotie la Landonne
• Chave Hermitage
• Marius Gentaz-Dervieux Cote Rotie
• Paul Jaboulet Aine Hermitage La Chapelle
• Domaine Roger Sabon Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Prestige

Our 1982 wines in the cellar