Château Margaux, 1er Cru Classé, Margaux,

A cloud of peonies and gunsmoke immediately strikes as you approach the 1982 Château Margaux, and it stands out for its finesse and charm. The tannins continue to cradle the fruit, this is richly nuanced, with pencil lead, strawberry puree, truffles, ash, cocoa, rose petals and saffran. Owner Corinne Menzelopoulos had succeeded her late father as the head of the estate in 1981, working with estate director Philippe Barré. Perhaps Paul Pontallier's arrival the following year helped to cement the reputation of the exceptional 1983 at Château Margaux, but the 1982 is clearly rivalling it on recent tastings.

This bottle of 1982 Château Margaux was wonderful yet atypical. This has a heightened sense of brine on the nose that initially drew me towards an older vintage such as 1961. Yet the colour was clearly not as old as that, and it has more youthfulness than you would anticipate. Very complex, yet more reserved than expected, it just seems to “flow” on the palate. Very fine structure and perfect sapidity, yet this bottle seemed to hold something back. It is an occasion when I wonder if the 1983 Margaux had been juxtaposed, this would have come out second best, taking nothing away from its own virtues.