Chateau Carteau Cotes Daugay Saint Emilion Grand Cru, 1982

I bought a lot of 1982 Bordeaux. Robert Parker was exclaiming about the greatness of the vintage, and the wines were incredibly inexpensive, even for that period. The price tag on this bottle, now 35 years old, reads $7.99. As other wines reach maturity, it's easy to push these older Bordeaux aside; and, regardless of their advancing age, I have never really been disappointed by even the most modest of labels.

Brick red but still vibrant. The only thing old about this wine is its cork, which was difficult to extract. The bouquet is intense and clean: mint, cedar, cherries and red spices. Same on the palate. Clear as a bell. Both sweet and savory qualities. Relatively big for a wine that is clearly Merlot heavy. Oh, if New World Merlot smelled and tasted like this, I would be a buyer.