88 points Wine Spectator

Pretty blackberry and fresh fruit aromas, with a subtle hint of earth. Medium- to full-bodied, with well-integrated tannins and a mineral, chalk finish. Wine Spectator, November 1998

86 points CellarTracker (Community Consensus)

A classic, soft, and fully mature second label from the historic 1982 campaign. Showing remarkably steady bottle age, the nose yields delicate tertiary notes of dried red currants, cedar, leather, and dried autumn leaves. The palate is light-to-medium-bodied and smooth with completely resolved tannins, making it “a pleasant, fully evolved old Bordeaux that drinks easily with delicate food pairings.” CellarTracker, October 2015

Cult Wines International Notes:

Château Lascombes stands as a distinguished 2nd Growth (Deuxième Grand Cru Classé) situated in the heart of the Margaux appellation. Founded in the 17th century by Knight Antoine de Lascombes, the estate is renowned for possessing one of the most uniquely fragmented vineyard footprints in the Médoc, encompassing over 40 distinct soil parcels featuring deep gravel, clay-limestone, and clay-gravel combinations. Chevalier de Lascombes serves as the estate’s official second label, crafted to offer an earlier-drinking, approachable expression of the property’s unique terroir while benefiting from the same exacting vineyard management and cellar expertise as the Grand Vin. Historically incorporating a generous proportion of Merlot alongside Cabernet Sauvignon, the estate’s second wine is celebrated for its supple texture and classic Margaux aromatics.

The 1982 growing season across Bordeaux is revered as a legendary, benchmark vintage that redefined modern winemaking, delivering an optimal combination of quantity, fruit concentration, and phenolic ripeness. A warm, ideal spring paved the way for an early, uniform flowering, followed by a sun-drenched, hot summer that allowed the berries to build rich sugars and thick, tannin-packed skins. Under the estate’s careful selection process, the blocks destined for Chevalier de Lascombes were manually harvested and vinified in traditional, temperature-controlled vats, creating a soft, open-knit blend designed for early enjoyment compared to its more tannic First and Second Growth peers.

At over four decades of age, the 1982 Château Lascombes ‘Chevalier de Lascombes’ has reached a fully mature, delicate library window. The primary fruit has settled completely, paving the way for a graceful, tertiary array of dried cherries, cedar chest, dried bay leaf, old leather, and crushed stone minerality. On the palate, the tannins have fully resolved into a soft, light-to-medium-bodied frame, supported by a gentle seam of mature acidity and a clean, dry finish. This rare vintage bottle offers an intriguing, historic snapshot of second-label Bordeaux from one of the 20th century’s most celebrated growing seasons.