Chateau Beychevelle   Beychevelle

1982 Beychevelle

By Chateau Beychevelle

1982 Beychevelle from Chateau Beychevelle, St-Julien, Bordeaux

The 1982 vintage from the revered Chateau Beychevelle stands as a testament to an outstanding year in Bordeaux's winemaking history. The season's serendipitous climate conditions fostered an exemplary harvest, allowing the grapes to reach optimal maturity. It is this vintage that encapsulates not just the essence of St-Julien but a momentous period for collectors and investors alike.

 

The Embodiment of Bordeaux's Finest Hour

In the pantheon of Bordeaux vintages, 1982 is often spoken of with hushed reverence. This year was marked by an exceptionally warm growing season, resulting in wines with opulent fruit characteristics and a balance that experts dared not dream of. The 1982 Beychevelle is indeed one such legend – a wine that encapsulates the sheer exuberance and depth of its majestic terroir.

 

A Vintage Worth Investing In

Even after four decades, the 1982 Beychevelle gleams with a jewel-like hue, hinting at its undiminished splendour. Swirling in the glass, it releases a complexity of dark berries, cassis and hints of truffle which all but leap forth - followed by layers of earthy undertones and supple tannins. Upon tasting, this St-Julien marvel offers a velvety structure, rich with aged notes of leather and spice intermingling with traces of dark chocolate.

As a guiding beacon for fine wine investors, the 1982 Beychevelle from Chateau Beychevelle remains one of the most sought-after bottles for any discerning collection. Its impressive longevity and unwavering standing amongst past vintages signify not just remarkable drinking pleasure, but an asset promising considerable appreciation over time.

In summation, this exceptional wine from St-Julien demonstrates that the unparalleled combination of a benevolent season and consummate skill can birth a vintage that is not simply enjoyed but revered. As I reflect on its merits – its vibrant life in both bouquet and palate – the 1982 Beychevelle beckons as a luminous highlight within any investor's cellar, embodying both the heart of its estate and the soulful character of its remarkable year.

Current market price

$3,710.00

12x75cl

Highest score

94

POP score

158.57

Scores and tasting notes

94

I have noticed serious bottle variation with this wine, but recently it has been consistently scoring in the 94-96 point range. Beautifully sweet, slightly herbaceous black currant, licorice, and earthy notes emerge from this nearly opaque, dark ruby/purple-tinged 1982. Compared to the more elegant, feminine-styled wine often produced here, it is a beast. Dense, thick, rich, concentrated, and impressive, it can be drunk now and over the next two decades. Release price: ($130.00/case)

Robert Parker Jr - The Wine Advocate, 29 June 2009

92

Tasted at Pebbles/Zachy's 1982 dinner in Hong Kong. Every time I come back to this Saint Julien it seems to get a little better! Here, this bottle offers a gorgeous, refined bouquet of blackberry, briary, cedar and 'dusty attic'. Like a few other 1982s, there is a faint animally note on the entry that might be a touch of brettanomyces, but that is nothing to worry about. It is extremely well balanced, crisp and focused with admirable tension and freshness marking the finish. I like the cohesion here, a Saint Julien that draws you in to its charms. Lovely! Tasted November 2012.

Neal Martin - Wine Journal Jan 2013

Vintage performance