An Embarrassment of Riches: Wines from 1982

Cameron had the unbelievable opportunity to go to a wine tasting recently with the theme "wines from 1982." Which just happens to be his birth year. California cab (and even merlot), port, and sauternes were all represented. And then there were the 1982 Bordeaux. 

Now, getting to try any 1982 Bordeaux is a real treat. Left bank or right, classified growth or not. They're all special and pretty difficult to find at this point (yes, that means Cameron is getting old). But to get to try 1982 first growth Bordeaux (and a super second growth)--that's really a rare treat. Potentially a once in a lifetime opportunity. Getting to try 3 out of 5 1982 first growths in one sitting?? That's unbelievable. Oh, and someone was nice enough to bring a 1982 Penfolds Grange for comparison! Really incredible!

While every wine tasted was delicious, with no flaws in sight, the real stars were the Bordeaux and the Grange. All told, there were 10 different 1982s to taste through, and they were phenomenal! A friend described it as an '82 wine orgy. That wasn't too far off. 

There are so many things that can be said about these wines. The concentration. The spice, the leather, the earth. The sheer intensity of flavor 36 years on. The fact many wines still had significant fruit notes, or that they didn't even fully open up until they'd been on the table for 3 hours. That the last sip hours after opening was generally better than the first. That a friend even suggested decanting the '81 Chateau d'Yquem because it was still so huge! But really, all we can really do is show some pics and say thanks for the amazing experience!! Definitely once in a lifetime!