Vintage Point

BUYING THE GREAT BORDEAUX IN A BULLISH MARKET

JOEL L. FLEISHMAN

This may be the last moment most of us will be able to afford what the majority of wine experts regard as one of the honest-to-God top three or four "vintages of the century," the 1982 Bordeaux. The "first growths" of that vintage, the historically greatest and most expensive of the Bordeaux (LafiteRothschild, Mouton-Rothschild, Latour, Margaux, Haut-Brion) and their as yet uncertified equivalents (Petrus and La Mission Haut-Brion), are already out of reach, at per-case prices of $650 and more, depending on the city. But most of the other chateaux—some of them just as extraordinary as the first growths—can still be purchased at less than $350 a case. This situation, alas, is not likely to last beyond September.

Having witnessed a doubling of retail prices for the 1982 Bordeaux since they were first offered as futures in 1983, the French wine trade is holding back supplies in anticipation of even steeper increases. According to Michael Aaron of Sherry-Lehmann in New York, it is virtually impossible now for importers to buy the vintage at any price, much less one that is reasonable. When existing stocks of particular chateaux are exhausted, retail prices for the few wines then available will be at least 50 percent higher than what stores are getting for their wines now. Jim Arseneault of Addy Bassin's Mac Arthur Liquors in Washington, D.C., tells this sad story: "There are no more 1982s to be bought in France, although we have found sources—at higher prices, of course— in England."

Is all this fuss worth it? Robert Parker, author of The Wine Advocate and a critic whose taste, objectivity, and judgment I have found to be consistently reliable, thinks so. He writes that in 1982 Bordeaux "has produced the most perfect wines in the post World War II era.... The sheer magnitude in numbers of truly great wines that have been produced in this marvelous vintage is unparalleled in the history of Bordeaux."

Not only is the vintage extraordinary in its breadth of greatness—Parker gave thirty-six wines a rating of 90 or above, three times the number he ranked at that level in the great 1961 Bordeaux—but many individual wines are regarded as the best ever produced by their chateaux. For the first time, Parker gave two wines—Mouton-Rothschild and Petrus—a perfect score of 100. "The 1982 Mouton-Rothschild," he states, "is one of the greatest young wines ever produced and will be regarded as one of the monumental wines of this century." Of the Petrus, he says, "The wealth of fruit overwhelms the palate with a luxuriance and richness that I have never encountered before."

One can still buy the Mouton for about $70 a bottle, and the Petrus, if one can find it, for $200 a bottle. However, there are many other great chateaux readily available at prices that are, well, reasonable for a "vintage of the century." There are many "petit chateaux" too, which are available at less than ten dollars a bottle, although they are best bought for early drinking, since most will not mature into the Olympian wines we can expect from the senior chateaux.

While I have tasted only thirty-six of the 1982 Bordeaux, Parker has tasted all of them at least once, most of them thrice, and some as many as fifteen times. Since for the past six years I have bought most of my own Bordeaux on the basis of his advance evaluations, I have not the slightest qualm in commending his assessment of the 1982s. Among his choices my favorites are the following, with Parker's numerical rating and the price quoted by Arseneault for a case I of twelve bottles:

Calon-S6gur, 95 +, $210. Cos d'Estoumel, 97 +, $420. Grand-Puy-Lacoste, 914-, $200. Lynch-Bages, 93, $240.

Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, 94, $400.

Branaire-Ducru, 93, $240. Ducru-Beaucaillou, 96, $400. Gruaud-Larose, 96, $240.

L6oville Barton, 93, $168.

La Tour Haut-Brion, 94, $300.

Not all wine writers share Parker's unrestrained enthusiasm for the 1982s, but they differ from his assessment only in small degrees. Is there, they wonder, enough acid in the wine for the desired firmness? Are there sufficient tannins to ensure the long life that is prerequisite both to the attainment of ripeness and to acceptance as a legendary vintage? But these are quibbles. The 1982s are the most intense, balanced wines I've ever tasted, and virtually all of the major chateaux are sure to grow to a dazzling, ripe richness. The only significant difference among the opinions of critics is whether that stage will occur in ten years or twenty-five years, and I'm willing to live happily for some time with that doubt.

I have frequently tasted wines from the chateaux mentioned above in many vintages, I own most of them in all recent major vintages, and I have already bought most of the 1982s for myself. I intend to buy the rest as quickly as I can find them. Barring a miracle, 1982 is likely to be the greatest Bordeaux available in our lifetimes. If you wish to possess a bit of history, act now or forever numb your regret in lesser wines.