1982 La Dominique, St-Émilion

The 1982 La Dominique has been fully mature for at least 15 years, but if stored in a cold cellar, it holds on to its beautiful fruit. There is a slight hint of prunes, along with licorice, herbs, jammy black cherry and cassis fruit as well as that subtle seaweed smell that I associate with nori, the wrapper used in sushi restaurants. Still full-bodied, complex, and tasty, it is ready for prime time consumption. (RP)

The 1982 vintage of La Dominique has always been one of my favorites for this property and the wine continues to drink very nicely at age thirty-six. The bouquet wafts from the glass in a refined blend of black cherries, sweet dark berries, menthol, cigar ash, dark soil tones and a fairly generous base of smoky new oak. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and quite suave on the attack, with good complexity and grip, still a touch of backend tannin and a long, well-balanced and focused finish. Good juice with plenty of life still ahead of it.