For Bordeaux, 1982 was a pivotal vintage. A year that rightly sits alongside all the landmark years in the long history of the region, including 1620, the year the Dutch drained Bordeaux and set up the negotiant system; the 1855 Classification; phylloxera arriving in 1869; and the victory vintage of 1945. 

Great vintages had come and gone, but arguably, without the influence of 1982, we would not have the Bordeaux or many other wines from around the world that we know today.

Coming on the platform heels of a challenging 1970s - where the flare was mostly on the trousers rather than in the wine - 1982 was an abundant and great vintage. However, it also collided with a financially confident global market, a new inheritance tax structure, which forced many of the Chateaux into the hands of large corporations and a lawyer from the US - Robert Parker.

Lawyer turned wine critic, it is widely regarded that this was the vintage that launched Parker's career in the wine world. He championed the 1982 vintage. It is true that many questioned the ripeness of the grapes, something that future Chateaux strived for to satisfy Parker’s tastebuds, but apart from a couple of influential US critics, it was widely well received.

Considered the sole voice of praise, it was Parker’s influence on the Bordeaux market which transformed everything. Wines were not priced or released until he fired the starting gun. Merchants sat by fax machines waiting for that yellow piece of paper. From this point winemaking changed. The money flowed in as “En Primeur” - where wine is purchased while it is still maturing in the barrels - became the foundation for many fortunes. It was a space race, with each Chateau outdoing the next for the latest technology. Buying wine as an investment also drove the market even further forward.

I don’t doubt this would have happened eventually, but it all took place because of the 1982 and a small office in Baltimore.

At forty-four, most of the 1982s have been or should have been drunk up and we are starting to quietly murmur that there are now “no great wines, only great bottles”.

The best 1982’s of today are at the pinnacle of what great Bordeaux is and will continue to evolve and exhilarate. We see it in the prices we achieve and the excitement a fine bottle or case generates.

Auction Details

This is a live online auction with an auctioneer. The auction will take place on Tuesday 28 July (starting at 10.30am BST) at Dreweatts Newbury, but please note all wine and spirits are stored off-site at LCB Eton Park. Bidding is available online, by telephone, by commission bids or in person at Dreweatts. Please contact Dreweatts to register all commission bids or telephone bids by 12 noon BST the day before the sale.

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Our specialists can provide valuations on single bottles and entire cellars, as well as advice on starting and maintaining your cellar. For further details or a free auction valuation, please contact: 

Dreweatts Wine Department
Mark Robertson | Violette Jongbloed | Emily Clarke | Lucy Dadd
Direct tel: +44 (0) 1635 553 594
Main tel: +44 (0) 1635 553 553
Email: wine@dreweatts.com

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