Final Judgement: 1981 vs. 1982

Four decades ago, 1982 became a landmark year in Rioja and Spain. Touted as the vintage of the century, it cast a powerful shadow over the excellent 1981 that was somehow left behind. Since then, however, many wine critics and connoisseurs have engaged in fierce arguments defending that 1981 was actually as good as or even better and is aging more gracefully than 1982. Now, just over forty years later, it is the perfect time to settle the issue by blind tasting and comparing side by side the same six wines from both vintages.