The 1982 Vieux Chateau Certan didn't make waves in its youth, yet it is going from strength to strength today. Produced by Léon Thienpont, four years before his son Alexandre took the helm, it offers up rich aromas of mulberries, black truffle, forest floor, spices and cedar. Medium to full-bodied, fleshy and enveloping, with an ample core of fruit, melting tannins and an expansive, sapid finish, this is a comparatively underrated 1982 Bordeaux today.

Not yet fully mature, this wine reveals some amber at the edge as well as a complex, intoxicating nose of cedar, licorice, spice box, black currants, and cherries. While medium to full-bodied with sweet tannins, and beautiful concentration, it appears to me that more recent vintages are stronger and denser than the 1982. Nevertheless, it is a beauty that can be drunk now and over the next 15-16 years. Release price: ($175.00/case)