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Beychevelle 1982

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Left Bank > St Julien
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Sauvignon/Merlot

View all vintages of this wine | View all wines by Château Beychevelle

Label

Tasting Notes

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.

94
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (183), June 2009

Fully mature, the 1982 Beychevelle is drinking beautifully today, exhibiting sweet aromas of plums, minty cassis, licorice and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, rich and fleshy, with an ample core of fruit, melted tannins and an expansive finish, it's a gourmand, demonstrative wine that can likely continue to hold at this level for some time to come in a cold cellar.

94
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (264), December 2022

A profound Beychevelle, the slowly developing 1982 is a powerful, full-bodied, intensely concentrated wine that has revealed far greater potential for extended cellaring than I expected. It has lost all of its baby fat and those unctuously thick, forward flavors have settled down to reveal a more classic bouquet of cedar, herb, tobacco, licorice, and black currant scents, along with aromas of new saddle leather and truffles. Powerful, rich, and broad-shouldered, this brawny Beychevelle may not develop the finesse of the 1989, but it will always be a richer, more powerful wine. Anticipated maturity: now-2025. Last tasted, 11/02.

95
Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (4), December 2003

This is the finest Beychevelle produced over the last forty years. It reveals the estate's tell-tale elegance in addition to a level of density, muscle and richness that is rarely found in more recent vintages. A dense ruby/garnet colour is followed by a classy nose of black fruits, licorice, minerals, and toast. Ripe, sweet, and thick, with low acidity, medium to full body, impressive richness, light to moderate tannin and a long finish, this wine is just entering its plateau of maturity, where it should remain for 12-15 years.

92
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (129), June 2000

The 1982 Beychevelle has not developed as quickly as I had anticipated. It is an atypical Beychevelle, an estate known for the delicacy and elegance of its wines, and, lamentably, its inconsistency. The 1982 is a powerful, full-bodied, intensely concentrated wine that has revealed far greater potential for extended cellaring than I expected. It has lost some of its baby fat and those unctuously thick, forward flavors have settled down to reveal a more classic bouquet of cedar, herb, and blackcurrant scents, along with aromas of new saddle leather and truffles. Monolithic, but powerful, rich, and surprisingly backward, this is a broad-shouldered, brawny Beychevelle that may not develop as much finesse as the 1989. It will always be a richer, more powerful wine. Although approachable, I would hold it for another 2-3 years, and drink it over the subsequent 15-20 years. Along with the more forward and flattering 1989 and the backward, tannic 1986, the 1982 is one of the most impressive Beychevelles produced over recent decades. Last tasted, 9/95.

91
Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (3), November 1998
Please note that these tasting notes/scores are not intended to be exhaustive and in some cases they may not be the most recently published figures. However, we always do our best to add latest scores and reviews when these come to our attention. We advise customers who wish to purchase wines based simply on critical reviews to carry out further research into the latest reports.