Palate
1983 is an incredibly highly concentrated vintage. The wines have very ripe tannins, which retain all their vigor and density. The wine is noble with opulent fruity notes and an impeccable freshness that emphasizes its mellowness.
Growing Conditions
The weather, right on time. In 1983, every stage of the vines’ development was accompanied by perfect weather: warm and dry in June for the flowering, heatwave temperatures in early summer as ripening began, warm and dry again in September as the grapes reached perfect ripeness. All of which created high sugar levels – comparable to 1982 – and extremely ripe tannins.
1983 is a powerful, long and complex vintage. It is the best Château Palmer of the 1980s. And yet, the first 5 months of the year did not let on! During January and February there were regular cold spells as well as some particularly mild weather for the season. March was fairly cold and wet. The vines began to grow on March 28th. April and May were abominable. It rained nonstop and the nights were cold. The vines did not grow as expected. Spring began on June 4th with a late bloom, which was normal due to the hot and dry weather. The vines grew quickly and were plentiful. After an incredibly hot and dry month of July, August was equally hot but also very humid. Fungus spread abundantly. In spite of this, the vines were beautiful and the véraison progressed perfectly. On September 9th, the weather cleared up and the wind turned. This was conducive to a slow maturation of the grapes. It also helped in limiting diseases. Thanks to a succession of warm and sunny days as from late September to mid-October,
the berries reached sugar levels comparable to or even higher than those of 1982.
