Serena Sutcliffe: Vintage September 20–October 2. An astonishing 54hl/ha; 160,000 bottles of 1982 were produced, when the average is 90,000–100,000. And this in a drought year! The crop was so healthy that no sorting was necessary. 12.8% ABV—somewhat surprising in today’s context. Fresh acidity on the palate—again a surprise, since we all know that acidities were low in this hot year. On this occasion, the wine was quite one-dimensional, having gone into its shell. I find this often with the 1982: At one tasting it is ebullient, lush, and all over you, and at the next it is quite shy. At heart, it is a velvety, supple, rich, and chocolaty wine, with a tannic kickback to make you sit up and take notice—as we do.