Corbin sits on the far north-western edge of Saint-Émilion, where the appellation runs out and Pomerol begins, on sand and gravel over a clay base. It is Merlot country, and the wines made here have always been rounder and softer than those from the limestone plateau around the village: less austere when young, and quicker to come into their own.
The 1983 vintage on the Right Bank produced ripe, approachable wines that were drinking well long before their Left Bank counterparts. At forty-three years old a bottle like this is fully mature and wants gentle handling — stood upright for a day, opened without ceremony, poured carefully off its sediment.
It is a grand cru classé carrying the right year on the label, which is the whole point of giving one. The wine and the date arrive together, and the date is the part that cannot be substituted.
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Producer: Château Corbin
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Vintage: 1983
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Appellation: Saint-Émilion Grand Cru AOC
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Format: 75cl
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Region: Bordeaux, France
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Style: Red
Where it is likely to be now. Right Bank 1983s matured early, so this will be soft, mature and possibly fading, and it is sold as a collectible bottle rather than with a promise of how it drinks.
Who it suits. Right for a 1983 birthday when the gift is going to someone who will actually open it, since Right Bank wines of the year are the gentler ones.
Condition. The label is in good order and the fill sits between the very top of the shoulder and the base of the neck, a small amount of evaporation over four decades and a strong level for the year.
Provenance. Bought to order from a professional European merchant. We check fill, label and capsule when the bottle reaches us and photograph it before it ships.
Delivered in 7 to 10 working days, tracked. Transit cover can be added at checkout.
Sold as a collectible item, as seen. No guarantee is given on drinkability.
