Good medium amber-edge red. Flamboyant aromas of smoked meat, leather, truffle and burnished oak. Intensely flavoured and penetrating, with strong acids giving the flavours terrific cut and grip. I get an impression of strong Cabernet tannins. Drink now through 2020. (94). My second bottle showed even more extravagantly expressive aromas of hot stones, tobacco, minerals and marzipan; a denser, silkier palate impression, with more obvious roasted Graves character; and an uncanny combination of sheer sweetness with structure and grip. I rated this wine even higher. 96 points, International Wine Cellar (8/2002).

Though having tasted the Haut-Brion 1982 on numerous occasions, it is still a divine Pessac-Léognan to cherish... It has that lovely warm gravel on a summer's day bouquet, brown autumn leaves, bay leaf and here a slightly more conspicuous note of black olive than I have noticed in the past. The palate is medium-bodied with fine tannins, again a little more diffuse than its fellow 1982 First Growths, but with just as much charm. If anything, it feels a little tighter and more backward than previous examples, perhaps suggesting that bottles of excellent provenance will last many years. It is a wonderful 1982 First Growth... disarmingly and utterly charming.

95 points, Wine Advocate, July 2016

Dark ruby red. Tobacco, roasted coffee and light raisin. Full-bodied, with soft and silky tannins and a long finish. I have always loved this wine. 95 points, James Suckling (6/2001)

Soft-edged garnet with a light orangey cast -- barely. Remarkably perfumed -- vanilla and spice and cedary dried herbs and something floral like lavender. So fragrant. Much denser and firmer on the palate than I expected, still a little grainy though fine grained. Rich but elegant, so finely balanced but surprising power and masculine energy giving fabulous length. 19/20 points, jancisrobinson.com (3/2010).