98 points Wine Advocate

 I was completely blown away by the 1982 Cristal. This towering, monumental wine possesses incredibly vibrancy and delineation in its white truffles, honey and hazelnuts. This bottle shows some of the tertiary notes found in the 1979 but married to an intense expression of ripe fruit. While the 1979 is fully resolved the 1982 has another decade-plus of fine drinking ahead of it. The 1982 is 60% Pinot Noir and 40% Chardonnay. 20% of the wine was aged in oak. This bottle is an original disgorgement from 1987 or 1988 and received 12 grams of dosage. (RP)  (3/2009)

96 points Vinous

 One of my all time favorites, the 1982 Cristal is magnificent. Fresh, nuanced and exceptionally beautiful, the 1982 remains one of the all-time great Cristals. Apricot, almond and chamomile nuances suggest the 1982 is just starting to turn the corner into its plateau of maturity. This bottle lacks a bit of excitement, but, then again, the 1982 Cristal is not exactly the sort of wine I get to taste on a regular basis, so it is possible this is not the best showing. Hopefully, I will get a chance to taste it again soon. Even so, well-stored bottles will drink well for another decade-plus. “In my opinion, 1982 is the first vintage of climate change in Champagne,” Lécaillon explains. “Sugars were higher than we were used to seeing. As a comparison, the 1981 Cristal is also concentrated, but it is concentrated by low yields. In 1982, we had high yields and elevated ripeness, meaning it was the sun that ripened the fruit.” (AG)  (12/2018)