1983 Ruchottes Chambertin
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Tasting notes
The 1983 Ruchottes -Chambertin offers fine delineation on the nose replete with red cherry and strawberry fruit laced with compost and peat, then over the following 20 to 30 minutes, a chlorophyll tincture. The palate is medium-bodied and feels rather straight-laced and austere at first. It loosens up, gains more “flow” with time although I feel that it lacks depth towards the leafy Earl Grey-tinged finish. Not bad for the vintage, albeit not the greatest Ruchottes that Dr. Mugneret ever made. I would consume bottles in the near future. Tasted at the Ruchottes-Chambertin vertical in London.
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Robert Parker
Neal Martin
More reviews and scores
The 1983 Ruchottes-Chambertin has less charm than the lovely, seductive 1982, but is a very big wine, dark in color, and potentially better than the rating, but it is so, so tannic. This wine was retasted with Dr. Mungeret's daughter in 1989 and confirmed his success in this vintage. I was afraid that the late Dr. Georges Mugneret's use of 100% new oak barrels for the 1983s might have been a mistake. The wines were already very tannic and they hardly needed any additional wood tannins. Happily, the wines have turned out to be very good.