La Mission Haut-Brion 1983

Parker: his is easily the best bottle of La Mission ’83 that I have encountered and some fellow diners preferred it to the ’82. I would not go quite that far, but its has a delectable leafy nose with black brambly fruit, sous-bois, cedar and mint, a scorched earth scent becoming more prominent with further aeration. Very well defined. The palate is medium-bodied and unexpectedly shows far more bravura and dare I say, decadence than I predicted. Blackberry, black olive, cassis and tobacco, rounded and animated towards the leafy, herbaceous finish with a captivating sense of harmony. Will I ever chance upon a bottle as good as this? Superb. Drink now-2025. 93/100

Galloni: The 1983 La Mission Haut-Brion is a very solid follow-up to the 1982, albeit not quite in the same class. It has a seductive bouquet of brambly black fruit, Earl Grey and sous-bois and fern-like scents that unfold with aeration. As always with this wine, it shows fine delineation. The vigorous palate is well-defined, offering plenty of red and black fruit tinged with tobacco and black olive and culminating in a harmonious finish. This does not deliver the depth or the persistence of the previous vintage, but it's just one of those bottles whose buvabilité catches you off guard. 92/100