1982 Beausejour Duffau-Lagarosse

From a bottle purchased in Saint Emilion, the 1982 Château Beauséjour (Duffau-Lagarrosse) showed beautifully and while fully mature, still has a youthful vibe and opened up over the evening. Lots of ripe blackcurrant fruits, forest floor, green tobacco, and saddle leather notes all flow to a medium to full-bodied, rounded, opulent wine that has resolved tannins, sweet fruit, and outstanding length. It’s not going to get any better, but it’s a classy, outstanding Saint-Emilion to enjoy over the coming 5-8 years or so.

Healthy crimson. Fragrant. Thick, deep and lively. Dry finish. Bit simple. Good acidity but not especially fine. (JR)

The 1982 Beausejour Duffau surprised me with its youthfulness and tannic ferocity. There is excellent, possibly outstanding concentration behind the wine's tough veneer. Still possessing a healthy dark ruby/purple color with only a hint of garnet and lightening at the edge, the wine's nose offers provocative aromas of over-ripe black fruits, minerals, and leather. Full-bodied and rich, but tannic and atypically austere for a 1982, this is a difficult wine to fully grasp. Will the fruit continue to hold with the tannin softening, thus meriting an even higher rating, or will the wine remain forbiddingly tannic and backward without ever fully developing? I would gamble on it becoming at least excellent, perhaps outstanding - it is just a question of patience. Tasted 3 times after bottling with consistent tasting notes. Dec 1995, www.robertparker.com