Bordeaux 1980s: Vintage guides plus the wines to seek out

Thatcher and Reagan; Kylie, Whitney, big-haired rockers and hip-hop; the space shuttle, the Berlin wall, Microsoft and Apple. The era that broke so much new ground was also the point at which Bordeaux erupted into the global wine stratosphere. And four decades on, this is the perfect time for an expert review of the wines and vintages.

By Gareth Birchley

last updated 12 December 2023

in Tastings

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Bordeaux 1980s — Château d'Yquem.

(Image credit: JP Bost)

As the world woke up on 1 January 1980, at the exact moment Debbie Harry reached peak stardom, the vignerons of Bordeaux no doubt let out a collective sigh of relief. The 1970s had been one of the most difficult decades on record for the winemakers of the most lauded of regions.

In 1973, Pauillac’s Château Mouton Rothschild had been elevated to first growth status, owing to the fact that Baron Philippe had been the star performer in almost all of the seven ‘Vintages of the Century’ that occurred between the end of the war and 1961 (1945, ’47, ’49, ’53, ’55, ’59 and ’61).

It was, sadly, not representative of the wines that were being made at the time of Mouton’s promotion, a few short years before the world succumbed to the microwave oven and the moment Bordeaux hit reputational rock bottom, losing the 1976 Judgement of Paris tasting to a Napa Valley Cabernet from one of their rivals across the pond. The 1980s was a chance to wipe the slate clean – but it didn’t start well…

It stayed cool for the first half of the year. A late spell of moderate weather saved the vintage from total wipe-out, but the damage was done with inconstant flowering keeping yields moderate, but sadly crafting wines of questionable quality, harvested well into October. Irrespective of the ordinary nature of the vintage, these are wines that are seldom seen on the secondary market. Having said that the wines are somewhat unremarkable, an ex-château bottle of Château Lagrange, St-Julien 3CC in February 2023 was more than passable for a luncheon claret.

Finally, after another questionable vintage, the tide began to turn. It was, unbeknown to the world at the time, the last ‘cheap’ (we’ve heard that before…) vintage for claret (spoiler alert: 1982 is coming!). An early flowering was followed by a generally hot, dry summer, and August saw more days above 25°C than any year in the half-century preceding it. It was perfectly described by the late, great Decanter columnist Michael Broadbent as ‘the sort of vintage that the British buy for drinking, not for display or investment’.

It is curious that 1981 does not have a better reputation: perhaps it is hiding in the shadow of its successor. Many of the wines are still glorious, just hitting their peak and a fraction of the price of 1982, 1985, 1986 and 1989. A vintage, in fact, not even always on the radar of the producers themselves, as evidenced by Jean-Michel Laporte, formerly of Château La Conseillante (now at Château Talbot), who, when I requested it at a dinner at The Ledbury in west London some years ago, claimed never to have tasted it. The wines that I love, in addition to the aforementioned, are numerous – but specifically Vieux Château Certan and Cheval Blanc on the Right Bank, and Châteaux Latour, Léoville Las Cases and the glorious Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande from the Médoc.

There is, I suspect, an entire book that could be written around the 1982 vintage, possibly the most famous in Bordeaux’s history. High quality, yes, but its renown was a perfect storm of factors coming together: quality, richness, global economic prosperity… and a man named Parker. It was a vintage that, stylistically, didn’t suit the palate of the British, who had consumed more than their fair share of middleweight claret produced in the two decades prior. Over in Baltimore, on the other hand, Robert M Parker Jr loved the wines and the story ends with him becoming the most influential critic of any genre, ever. I will stake my claim on the record that, for my money, 1982 is a very good vintage with a dozen or so great wines. That is to say, a great vintage should be homogeneous from top to bottom, which I don’t believe this is. Furthermore, there are only two châteaux that spring to mind from extensive research where 1982 is their finest effort of the decade: the legendary Château Latour, Pauillac 1CC, which is a contender for ‘Wine of the Century’; and Ducru-Beaucaillou, St-Julien 2CC, which sadly went on to have issues in the cellar in the latter half of the decade.

As Ricky Gervais would say, ‘the difficult second series’. How on earth do you follow 1982? I always think of 1981 and 1983 as being similar stylistically, but the latter was born in the ‘new era’ of Bordeaux. It was notably more expensive, meaning people held rather than drank a lot of the ’83s, especially given the money they had made on 1982s they’d bought. That, in combination with the large volume of production, has caused a bountiful supply of these gems, even some 40 years later.

I love the consistency of this vintage, perhaps even more so than 1981, but to my mind there are two communes that really thrived. Margaux, as a region, had its most successful harvest probably since 1961 – unsurprisingly, first growth Château Margaux itself and third growth Palmer were hugely lauded. The second outstanding performer was Sauternes, led by Châteaux Yquem and Climens, but almost everyone made wonderful, classic sweet wines. The Right Bank was more patchy, with top St-Emilion Château Cheval Blanc being the standout. On the Left Bank, honourable mentions should go to both Léoville Las Cases and Pichon Comtesse, which were fast shaping up to become the most consistent performers of the 1980s.

Just when the decade was getting going… nature throws in a year like 1984. The growing season flicked on an almost monthly basis from extreme heat to cold and back again, resulting in a poor Merlot crop. The Right Bank was almost a complete washout, while the Left Bank produced predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon that lacked development. In short, while I would never discourage a journey of discovery, you won’t miss anything if you never drink a 1984 Bordeaux.

This is probably the vintage of the decade that I have explored most thoroughly. The out and out wines of the vintage are Château Cheval Blanc and Château Margaux. The other first growths sit half a notch below, with the notable exception of Château Latour in Pauillac, a wine I never really got to grips with. The Right Bank didn’t experience the same highs as the Left Bank, but the wines are not to be written off.

This is a vintage that produced glorious wines from top to bottom, as exemplified by a wonderful magnum recently enjoyed of Château Beaumont, Haut-Médoc, still firing on all cylinders. To further add to the plaudits of the year, a bottle of Château Haut-Brion Blanc in early 2021 was one of the greatest wines of my life, showing that the dry whites were also a success. The only slight drawback was Sauternes, for which it was an average vintage, despite Yquem harvesting in December.

If 1985 produced underrated wines that perform in the glass, it could be argued that 1986 is the opposite. It stands below 1982 but alongside 1989 in terms of critical acclaim. The summer was hot and dry before much-needed rain set in later in August. While the September rain compromised the early-picked Merlot on the Right Bank, it gave more than ideal conditions in Sauternes and produced one of the finest Yquems of the century. The Left Bank gave structured, tannic and slightly mean wines that undoubtedly need food. Despite three wines from the Médoc being awarded the ‘ultimate honour’ of 100 points from Robert Parker himself, I prefer all three châteaux (Lafite Rothschild, Léoville Las Cases and Mouton Rothschild) in the preceding vintage.

My advice is to pick 1986 wines from châteaux that are more opulent in style: Gruaud Larose, Palmer and Pichon Comtesse are three such. Two of the most remarkable wines produced are Léoville Las Cases and Mouton Rothschild, both of which are variable, not in quality, but in their stage of evolution. In many instances they have not given an inch and are sometimes slightly one-dimensional, impressive as they are. Perhaps time is still required? These two certainly have the fruit to wait out the evolution, but many great châteaux from 1986 have dried out before the wines have opened up.

Often spoken about in the same breath as 1984, yet the quality is higher. The growing season was mixed but ultimately marked by rain at harvest, leaving the grapes diluted. This is the 1980s vintage of which I have least experience, but those I have encountered are pleasant enough, even today. Although they often need drinking quickly once opened, they are generally also superior to 1980, but fall in a different era, surrounded by wonderful years as 1980 was certainly not. I would suggest trying a 1987 if it falls into your lap, but if you have a cellar full of them, perhaps fetch the corkscrew and invite the rest of the village round for dinner.

If vintages come in pairs, then 1988 is a stylistic sibling of 1986, where the very best wines will be shown by having enough fruit to outlive the tannin. That said, on the Left Bank the wines are remarkably consistent. The Right Bank, less so. Due to a warm and occasionally stormy September, Sauternes was the real winner; as is often the case, Yquem and Climens were the best of the nobly rotted bunch, but there is quality and value throughout the commune. I have always had a soft spot for Châteaux Pichon Comtesse (again!), Latour and Haut-Brion. A recent bottle of La Lagune showed the strength in depth of both the vintage and the property, which constantly produces wonderful wines year on year. In addition, a double magnum of Vieux Château Certan, Pomerol in 2021 showed its class as one of the finest wines of the Right Bank.

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Gareth Birchley is buying director at London-based Burns & German Vintners. He started in wine in 2006 at Bordeaux Index before moving to Berry Bros & Rudd as a fine wine buyer for four years, joining Burns & German in 2019.

Bordeaux 1980s: Vintage guides plus the wines to seek out

Scroll down to see a selection of tasting notes and scores for Bordeaux 1980s wines from each year

1980

1981

1982

1983

1984

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

The Bordeaux 1980s vintages: top wines

Château Lagrange, St-Julien, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1980

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 1981

Château La Conseillante, Pomerol, Bordeaux, France 1981

Château Léoville Las Cases, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1982

Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1982

Château Beychevelle, St-Julien, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1982

Château Pichon Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, 2ème Cru Classé, Pauillac, Bordeaux, France 1983

Château Talbot, St-Julien, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1983

Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1983

Château d'Issan, Margaux, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1984

Château Léoville Las Cases, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1985

Château Lynch-Bages, Pauillac, 5ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1985

Château Léoville-Las Cases, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1986

Château Gruaud-Larose, St-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1986

Château Prieuré-Lichine, Margaux, 4ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1987

Château La Lagune, Haut-Médoc, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1988

Château Léoville Barton, Saint-Julien, 2ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1989

Château Langoa Barton, Saint-Julien, 3ème Cru Classé, Bordeaux, France 1989