Tasted at the vertical at the chateau, the 1982 Chateau Siran appears fully mature in colour. It has a well-defined, earthy bouquet with touches of mint infusing the vestiges of red berry fruit, mixed with fennel and white pepper. The palate is medium-bodied with fine structure, although it is clearly not as concentrated as the top wines of the vintage. This is still a little rustic and foursquare, but it has aged in accomplished fashion and what it might lack in sophistication it makes up for in freshness. There is no chance of it improving further and dryness on the finish suggests that it is advisable to pop this sooner rather than later, unless you own larger formats. Tasted February 2016.