Bright, amber-tinged red. Knockout aromas of ripe red cherry, cassis, milk chocolate and sweet spices. Rich and dense, with fleshy, fully ripe red and black fruit flavors that linger impressively. Big, ripe, sweet, creamy wine; almost opulent, but without any undue weight or overripe aromas or flavors. This has always been one of my favorite Branaire-Ducrus: really great stuff!

A strong effort for this estate, the 1982 exhibits sweet aromas of plums, licorice, earth, and flowers. The tannins are slightly rustic, but the sweetness of the fruit, the broad expansive mouthfeel, and the wine’s full maturity represent a classic Bordeaux at the top of its game. Enjoy it over the next 5-8 years. Release price: ($320.00/case)

My last bottle of this gem. Medium-bodied, elegant and showing its secondary cedar, tobacco leaf, cherry, spice, cranberry and cigar box character with ease. Classic and classy, this is about elegance over power. Popped and poured, this is at or slightly past its peak. If you are holding any, you should enjoy it over the next couple of years before it fades away.

The 1982 Branaire-Ducru was surprisingly deep in color with just thin bricking on the rim. The nose is a mixture of red and black fruit, secondary aromas of fireside hearth, mint and cedar surfacing with time. This is certainly one of the more fragrant aromatics from the Saint-Julien. The palate is medium-bodied and well balanced, quite tart at first with plenty of succulent red fruit, bitter cherry, a splash of balsamic and considerable length. Whilst it lacks the gung-ho spirit of Gruaud Larose, this is a thoroughly enjoyable 1982 that still has a decade’s worth of drinking pleasure to give. Tasted at the Branaire-Ducru dinner.

Full red-ruby. Aromas of cherry, leather and meat, with dusty and minty nuances. Then surprisingly sweet and silky in the mouth; classic dry-but-sweet claret flavors framed by firm acids and solid, ripe tannins. Not fat but certainly palate-coating and long. This got better and better with aeration.

Mid-crimson. Lightweight digestive biscuits. Midweight on the palate. Grainy texture and tannic end. (JR)