Petrus 1982 (750ML)

97 VM / 96 WS / 95 DE / 19 JR

The 1982 Petrus is a wine I have been fortunate enough to taste perhaps a dozen times, however, this is the only occasion when it is served in magnum and at least based on this, it makes a world of difference compared to its lesser showings in bottle. Firstly, the colour is deeper, slightly more opaque. The bouquet is certainly tighter and more youthful with a little earthiness and singed leather infusing the dark berry fruit, later joined by a scintilla of shucked oyster shell. The palate is wonderful: fine tannin, perfectly pitched acidity, great depth and complexity than bottle examples. It felt almost flinty in the mouth, quite linear and direct with a very persistent finish. Advising folks to buy this wine in larger format sounds ridiculous to the 99.99% who could never afford it, but if your number has come up on the lottery, then heed my advice. Tasted at the Petrus dinner at the Épure restaurant in Hong Kong. - Neal Martin, Vinous Media

Dark ruby garnet. Intense tobacco, cedar, berry and blackberry. Full-bodied, silky, firm and fresh. Long. A beauty. One of the best bottles I have ever had.--Bordeaux retrospective. Drink now. - JS, Wine Spectator

This is more translucent than Lafleur and a glowingbrick-red in hue.  There’s plenty ofhead-turning exoticism on the nose: spice, truffle, the coffee-roaster’syard.  On the palate, the wine shows itsage without being tired; the acid levels seemed among the lowest of the group,and once again there was no sense of bony senescence.  The flavours were unapologetically mature:wild mushroom, beef stock, fine tobacco. Rewarding and delicious – just not quite the blockbuster one hopes for on sight of this label. - Decanter

Lovely and sweet – very fleshy. Much more structured than the 1990s (Latour and Cheval) just served, also blind. Denser than the Mouton 1982. Very, very easy to like. - Jancis Robinson