1982 Ch. Haut-Brion, Pessac-Léognan

Superb weather conditions produced a great wine form a very large crop. The colour is still deep and youthful and the nose is almost baked or grilled as a consequence of the intense heat at vintage time. It is sweet and supple on the palate with fabulously ripe tannins, which will keep the wine for another for another 20 years.

..While the 1982 is a beauty, it has never hit the highest notes this vintage or terroir can achieve. Complex aromatics of scorched earth, smoked herbs, and sweet red and black currants are followed by a full-bodied, silky-textured wine, but I have never felt this offering has possessed the concentration, texture, or multidimensional personality found in such vintages as 1989, 1990, and more recent years. Nevertheless, this is essentially splitting hairs as the 1982 remains a superb Haut Brion. Seemingly less evolved than the 1990, it is capable of another 20-30 years of longevity. Perhaps there is something in reserve that will reveal itself in the next decade. Drink now-2035.
(Robert Parker - Wine Advocate - Jun-2009)