1982 Chateau Branaire-Ducru, Saint Julien

Medium dark, brownish around the rim. Open nose of red cherry and cedar with hints of smoke. Red cherry and chassis, moderate acid, soft tannins, and long fruity finish. A very good mature Bordeaux with nice fruit flavors, but lacking in the complexity of a top Bordeaux. The wine is ready to drink and doesn’t show signs of decline yet. My rating 89.

As you can see in the picture, I paid $15.80 for this wine. This was after the 1982 Bordeaux had arrived in the US and the prices had already gone up. I wish I could find wine of this quality for that price today.