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Cheval Blanc 1982

RegionBordeaux
Subregion France > Bordeaux > Right Bank > St Emilion
ColourRed
TypeStill
Grape VarietyCabernet Franc/Merlot

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Tasting Notes

The 1982 Cheval Blanc is a sumptuous, sensual wine, bursting with aromas of sweet raspberries, orange rind, dried flowers, cedar box, black truffles, vine smoke and menthol. Medium to full-bodied, ample and enveloping, it's supple and seamless, with a fleshy mid-palate, melting tannins and a long, expansive finish. As is often the case at this address, at age 40, it's the wine's Cabernet Franc component that really dominates its personality, meaning that it gratifies the intellect as completely as it does the senses. I've drunk the 1982 Cheval three times this year, and it has been remarkably consistently brilliant.

99
William Kelley, Wine Advocate (264), December 2022

This wine displays lots of garnet and bricking at the edge, plenty of cedar wood and underbrush, a touch of herbs, sweet cherries and black currants, and a round, juicy, full-bodied mouthfeel with just a touch of fading fruit and drying out in the finish. Drink it up.

96
Robert Parker, Hedonists Gazette, March 2017

More of a cloud than a spear in its impact on the palate (cf the 'spear' of 1990). Very intense and looks quite a bit older than the 1990 but clearly a very good vintage. Extremely rich on the nose. The acidity was initially quite obvious on the palate but the fruit blossomed in the glass so that it became less marked. A drier finish than the 1990. Less opulent. Drink 1996-2012.Date tasted 31st Oct 08.

19
Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, October 2008
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During its first 10-12 years of life, this was a perfect wine, but it now seems to be in a stage where the fruit is still present, but the previous exuberance and intensity have faded slightly. There is plenty of amber at the edge, and this medium to full-bodied wine shows notes of menthol, cedar, spice box, plums, and black cherries. Owners of 750 ml bottles should plan on consuming it over the next 4-6 years. Magnums should be less evolved, and merit a score 4 to 6 points higher.

92
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (183), June 2009

I thought the 1990 Cheval Blanc was the greatest Cheval Blanc following 1982 and before 2000. In a half dozen recent side-by-side comparisons, it was literally no contest, with the 1990 simply beating up on a great, but less dimensional and seemingly less concentrated 1982. But great wine is never that predictable, and I always say, "Thank God for the mysteries and things we can never quite figure out." The 1982 Cheval Blanc, which I thought was a 100-point wine in its first 5-6 years of life before it entered an awkward, adolescent stage - seemingly never to rebound and live up to my high hopes, was in full majestic glory on the gorgeous night in Washington, DC. Absolutely perfect, it had people shaking their heads with its glorious perfume, complexity, richness, opulence, and decadence. Of course, in 1982 there was no selection made and no second wine at Cheval Blanc, which may give readers an idea of how extraordinary more recent vintages could be - assuming the raw materials were as magical as they were in 1982.

Robert Parker, Hedonists Gazette, June 2006

This was consistanly a perfect wine early in its life, but it seems to be going through a stage where the tannins are more present, and the extraordinarily exotic opulence the wine had young, while still present, is not now as dominant a characteristic. Nevertheless, there is plenty to admire in this full-bodied, very lush Cheval Blanc that has reached full maturity. Sweet notes of red and black fruits intermixeed with licorice, spice box, and incense jump from the glass. On the palate, the wine is full-bodied, layered, and very rich. It seems to develop interesting nuances the more it sits in the glass, and then suddenly takes a dive. A very fascinating Cheval Blanc, and certainly the greatest Cheval Blanc after the 1964 and before the 1990. Anticipated maturity: now-2016. Last tasted, 1/03.

96
Robert Parker, Bordeaux Book (4), December 2003

Revealing considerable amber in its dark plum/garnet colour, this intensely fragrant 1982 is somewhat of a paradox in that the front end suggests full maturity, but the mid-palate, finish, and overall texture denote a closed wine. A gorgeously sweet entry displays flavours of caramel, roasted coffee, jammy red and black fruits, coconut, and smoke. It is fat and full-bodied, with considerable tannin, structure, and muscle in the finish. Flamboyantly rich and precocious early in life, it is going through an awkward stage where the tannin is present, but it is also sexy, juicy, and formidably-structured. When the 1982 Cheval Blanc's component parts become totally in sync, it will be capable of meriting a three-digit rating. Anticipated maturity: now(?) - 2015.

99
Robert Parker, Wine Advocate (129), June 2000
100
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.