Leoville Las Cases 1982 (5.0L)

100 RP / 99 JD / 98 DE / 97 WA

Still stubbornly backward, yet beginning to budge from its pre-adolescent stage, this dense, murky ruby/purple-colored wine offers up notes of graphite, sweet caramel, black cherry jam, cassis, and minerals. The nose takes some coaxing, and the decanting of 2-4 hours prior to service is highly recommended. For such a low acid wine, it is huge, well-delineated, extremely concentrated, and surprisingly fresh. Perhaps because I lean more toward the hedonistic view of wine than the late Michel Delon, I have always preferred this to the 1986, but the truth is that any lover of classic Medoc should have both vintages in their cellar. This wine has monstrous levels of glycerin, extract, and density, but still seems very youthful, and tastes more like a 7 to 8-year-old Bordeaux than one that is past its twentieth birthday. A monumental effort. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2035. Last tasted, 9/02. - Robert Parker

Tasted at the domaine, the 1982 Leoville Las Cases is just about pure perfection, and while certainly mature, it has plenty of life ahead of it. Thrilling notes of blackcurrants, kirsch, tobacco leaf, cedar box, menthol, and exotic spices all emerge from this seamless, powerful yet magically elegant Leoville Las Cases. Opening up in the glass, with a smoky, singular character, it's an incredible wine from this terroir that has an almost Latour-like regal quality. It should continue drinking well for another 10-15 years and I'm sure will keep even longer. Jeb Dunnuck

I always considered this wine, alongside Pichon Lalande, as one of the great wines of the 80s. A decade ago I recall it knocking spots off the legendary 1982 Mouton at Marcus Wearing in London. Still today it is a wine that needs time in the glass. Initially it is very closed but the underlying concentration is phenomenal. The black fruit aromas in combination with the ripeness of the vintage are almost overwhelming after an hour in the glass. The tannin is big and, as yet, not completely resolved. This is a wine that, unbelievably, still needs time to be at its very best. A goliath of St-Julien. Tasted Feb. 2023. Gareth Birchley, Decanter