1982 Leoville Poyferre

[Bonnie Wai]

Picked up this bottle from the Wine House and took to Nan Ban Kan, our favorite yakitori restaurant, to enjoy with our nephew who is on winter break from Cornell. The color is a combination of ruby/garnet, without any tinge of brown, remarkably youthful in appearance. This was a pop & pour, and the wine was ready to go from the start. The wine was notably soft & sweet, with flavor combination of cherry, cassis, black fruit, and a nose of tobacco & plum. The wine gained more weight & complexity after about an hour in the glass, and just wished we had more in our glasses to see how it would have further evolved. The wine had good balance, and a long finish, despite its overall sweet & lovely personality. For those like myself looking to backfill the cellar with older vintages, this is a definitely a top choice. What a delicious bottle!!

[Jeff Leve]

Hi Bonnie

Thank you for your post. And for being the first to add a picture! Wwe're just now getting the software ready for people to use. That feature was just added.

As you know, I love 82 Leoville Poyferre. It's not only one of the top wines from 1982, it's also a contender for the best quality to price ratio. As good as Poyferre is, Gruaud Larose is even better!

[Steve Matthesen]

A very nice wine. It can be as good as any of the super seconds in 1982

[Marshall Gelb]

Hola; We had both the Poyferre and Gruaud last night. The Poyferre was a far superior bottle on this night. It should be mentioned that the Poyferre was purchased on release and stored perfectly while the participant who brought the Gruaud purchased it recently from a very "reputable" dealer. How many times that bottle changed hands is unknown. This bottle was good but quite funky upon opening.....it blew off but the bottle was last in a flight of four. In addition, I opened a bottle of Gruaud last weekend in Merced (my bottle purchased on release) which showed much better. Last night the "winner" of the flight, in an extremely close vote was Cos d'Estournel with Ducru right behind. In actuality, the Cos, Ducru and Poyferre were virtually tied with the Gruaud bringing up the rear.

Cheers!
Marshall

[Christer Byklum]

1982 is not my favorite vintage, with too many wines from Bordeaux falling apart, and/ or lacking acidity, freshness and beeing to sweet. Many lacks refinement. But Gruaud Larose is great, but the 82 Meyney is as superb, for half the price!

[Mark Neustrom]

Nice wine. Thanks for the note.

[Keith Prothero]

Yes agreed the Meyney is great value and still holding up well. One of my favourite 82 Bordeaux is Evangile although it is not especially good QPR.

[LAURENT Antoon]

Firstly, 82 is a unbelievable vintage. Indeed I test (I've a good luck) 10 times Margaux during this 5 last years and each time is similar bottle (my best Bx for me).
But, I'm here to tell us Leo Poy ; me too I prefer this than neighbourg except Leo Las Cases. And I'm agree 82 Leo Poy is ready, very complex, well-balanced, long softy finish.
To finish, I test 98 to 2009 of Leo Poy and today the best to drink is 99. I'm very surprise by this vintage to Leo Poy because of is better than 98 & 2000 !
99 presents a lot of flavour, voluptuous and finish with elegants tanins. 99 is very impressive and can be a good value Vs others GCC.

[Christer Byklum]

But what many seems to forget, just look at the prices, is that the 83 from Château Margaux is far superiour to the 82. The 83 is pure perfection.

[Jeff Leve]

But what many seems to forget, just look at the prices, is that the 83 from Château Margaux is far superiour to the 82. The 83 is pure perfection.

Christer... The beauty of wine appreciation is, we all have different views. I used to think 83 Chateau Margaux was better than 82 Chateau Margaux. But over the last 3-5 years, for my palate, 83 Margaux has taken on more rustic qualities, while the 82 has added complexities, elegance and richness. In fact today, for my own taste, 83 Palmer is better than 83 Margaux.

[LAURENT Antoon]

Yes, I'm agree with you Jeff.
I think : Margaux 82>Palmer 83>Margaux 83>Palmer82 ; but it's all of very wonderfull wine.
More over, 82 Margaux can be keeping ; the others is time to drink and finish last bottles if liking the wine into youthfulness.

Antoon
The Wine Patriot

[Wilfred Yu]

Maybe it's time to pop an 82 Margaux. Last time I have an 82 and 83 together, 83 was a clear winner.

[Tom Mann]

I love that 82 Poyferre. I bought a case for work, but the labels had fallen off, so I couldn't sell it... we didn't pay very much for it, so we wrote it off and used it for client entertainment. Over the course of a year (all bottles with great levels), every bottle was at least really good, and the best were stunning. The last bottle, consumed about 10 days ago, was still incredibly youthful and vibrant, and unfortunately like Bonnie's bottle, gone far too soon!

[Keith Prothero]

Just bought a case Tom----pity it was not off you maybe next year to can invite me to one of your customer lunches!!

[Christer Byklum]

To me 83 Palmer is not even close on the complexity and length of the 83 Margaux, and I also preffer the more robust, call it classic style of 83 Margaux compared with the 82 that for me is softer and easier. I also find the 82 mature, but that the 83 will last for another 20-30 years, it's so youthfull and fresh still, evolving very slowly. But I also find that 86 is probably my favorite vintage in Bordeaux of the 80's, more pure fruit and more structure than the 82's that I find very fruity pruney and jammy, but lacking the freshness and structure in many cases that I love about Bordeaux.