1982 Bordeaux: Still the one

“The Bordeaux annals are replete with great vintages,” said Eric Asimov in The New York Times. Yet 1982 may stand alone in its historic importance. Critics’ rapturous reception of the 1982 vintage transformed Bordeaux into a high-priced luxury good and convinced the region’s vintners to begin trimming output in order to increase the quality of their very best wines. Thirty years on, the “rich, ripe, opulent wines” of 1982 have aged well, and they’ve also become trophy buys, for better or worse.

Château Beychevelle ($243). This “complete, complex, and harmonious” wine is both “contemplative and surprisingly rich.”

Château Figeac ($370). There’s “a spiciness to the aromas and flavors” of this Bordeaux that make it distinctive.

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Château Margaux ($1,373). Our “consensus favorite.” This ’82 offers “complex fruit, mineral, and tobacco flavors,” plus a “beautiful ruby color.”