The 1982 Chateau Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande scored 18+ points on the Dionysian scale of a possible 20. It has 13% alcohol and cost about $50 back then; today they’re worth $250 or more.
The garnet-ruby color, at 34 years old, was excellent. It’s been in a cold dark cellar since its release. Black fruits and cigar box aromas flowed upward. It was balanced nicely, but I still believe this New World style wasn’t as great as the 1983 vintage was.
This wine has a higher percentage of Merlot than many other Pauillac wines. Robert Parker made this vintage famous because he likes big fruity jammy wines. It was a dis-service to Bordeaux and the wine-drinking world.
We served petit lamb chops after cups of mushroom soup to help the wine show its best. It worked. With weather patterns changing in Bordeaux, I expect to see more vintages like this one instead of the classic more food-friendly style of the past. It seems to be at or near peak. Drink them now. In vino veritas.
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