Château Cheval Blanc 1982

Robert ParkerDuring its first 10-12 years of life, this was a perfect wine, but it now seems to be in a stage where the fruit is still present, but the previous exuberance and intensity have faded slightly. There is plenty of amber at the edge, and this medium to full-bodied wine shows notes of menthol, cedar, spice box, plums, and black cherries. Owners of 750 ml bottles should plan on consuming it over the next 4-6 years. Magnums should be less evolved, and merit a score 4 to 6 points higher.

James SucklingI have tasted this wine at least four or five times in the last two months and it is clearly classic. Some can be a little austere and thin though. This bottle was gorgeous with such pure and bright fruit. It showed aromas of dried cherries and mushrooms that turn to sliced ripe plums. It’s full with round and ripe tannins, and a long, long finish.

Jeb DunnuckThe 1982 Chateau Cheval Blanc is fully mature at this point and there’s certainly no upside, although it should keep for a decade. Mature red and black fruits, cedary spices, leather, flowers and dried flowers all flow to a sweetly fruited, sexy, open knit and ready to go wine that has resolved tannin and a good finish.

VinousThe 1982 Cheval Blanc is a vintage that I have not drunk for a number of years, so this was a pertinent reminder of its pulchritude. It has a flat-out gorgeous bouquet with ebullient red fruit, warm bricks (terracotta), hints of liquorice and strawberry jam. It's the kind of bouquet that you could bathe in. The palate has a ripe entry, voluptuous yet exquisitely balanced, the Cabernet components of this Cheval Blanc quite expressed and more pronounced than I recall. Yet it's toying with you as it segues into a more Burgundy-like final third. Mercurial, sensual and riveting. Tasted at the 1982 Dinner at Hatched.