16x Right Bank Bordeaux 1998

Tasted Sunday, December 18, 2022 by Cailles with 361 views

Introduction

To be fair, 14 wines only as two wines from Italy (Ornellaia) and the US (Monte Bello) were added to the lineup.

Dinner location. Essenz Brugg, Switzerland

Flight 1 (4 Notes)

  • 2002 Dom Pérignon Champagne P2 94 Points

    France, Champagne

    Second time in a matter of a few weeks and it again delivered. A bit less expressive than the other bottle but with impressive, highly precise substance packed in the most elegant frame. A few more years in the cellar needed to add more complexity and open the wine further up. The last, more evolved and open bottle was at 96 pts, this one 94+ pts.

    TN: At first a bit locked, with time and some swirling in the glass, the wine opened-up a bit but never fully. Lots of citrus, white fruit, limestone minerality, some herbal scents and just a few hints of bakery/brioche aromas on the nose and more pronounced on the palate. Highly elegant frame with fine mousse, a well-dosed, well-integrated acidity backbone, no weight but good intensity. Very balanced and round.

    Decanting: This needs a bit of time in the decanter (30+mins?).

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  • 2019 Domaine de Chevalier Blanc 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Three white Bordeauxs from the 2019 vintage. All three showed well. The Domaine de Chevalier (94pts) convinced with strong, bright fruit core but was missing a bit of harmony with the high acidity not being balanced by enough textural softness. The Cos (92pts) had that balance but not the same level of depth and length. And the (consensus winner) Pape Clement (95pts) was the marriage of both with textural softness, elegance, paired with superb freshness and aromatic depth. As I’m always worried how white Bordeauxs will develop in the age of premox, there’s no time to waste to pop a cork on any of these three wines.

    TN: Very intense and expressive from start to finish with everything circling around the very fresh, bright and pure gooseberry and citrus fruit with additional minty and herbal notes as well as some limestone notes in the background. Lots of fun to smell all day long but on the palate, the acidity is a bit too pronounced, the wine slightly too sour to drink a hell lot of it. A touch of creaminess is missing for the perfect balance. Nevertheless, this is a very good wine.

    Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting needed.

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  • 2019 Château Cos d'Estournel Blanc 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux

    Three white Bordeauxs from the 2019 vintage. All three showed well. The Domaine de Chevalier (94pts) convinced with strong, bright fruit core but was missing a bit of harmony with the high acidity not being balanced by enough textural softness. The Cos (92pts) had that balance but not the same level of depth and length. And the (consensus winner) Pape Clement (95pts) was the marriage of both with textural softness, elegance, paired with superb freshness and aromatic depth. As I’m always worried how white Bordeauxs will develop in the age of premox, there’s no time to waste to pop a cork on any of these three wines.

    TN: This had very little expression on the nose but showed a bit more on the palate with a citrus and gooseberry mix on the palate. Very well defined but not much more than that. The frame, however, is impeccable with a well-integrated medium+ to high acidity and a good textural softness. Medium+ long, citrus driven finish. Overall quite pleasant but a bit simple.

    Decanting: Not decanted, maybe a bit of air would have helped to open the wine

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  • 2019 Château Pape Clément Blanc 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Graves, Pessac-Léognan

    Three white Bordeauxs from the 2019 vintage. All three showed well. The Domaine de Chevalier (94pts) convinced with strong, bright fruit core but was missing a bit of harmony with the high acidity not being balanced by enough textural softness. The Cos (92pts) had that balance but not the same level of depth and length. And the (consensus winner) Pape Clement (95pts) was the marriage of both with textural softness, elegance, paired with superb freshness and aromatic depth. As I’m always worried how white Bordeauxs will develop in the age of premox, there’s no time to waste to pop a cork on any of these three wines.

    TN: Expressive nose and palate with fine fresh fruit, citrus, gooseberry, some herbs, minty notes, all wrapped around a salty minerality backbone. This has good depth and mid palate weight. Very round and elegant with a creamy texture mixed with a high, well-rounded acidity. Harmonious from start to the slightly expanding, medium+ long finish which display the fruit components mixed with a beautiful saltiness. This drinks very well today.

    Decanting: Not decanted, no extensive decanting needed.

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Flight 2 (16 Notes)

  • 1998 Château Beau-Séjour Bécot 84 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Oxidative, soy sauce and dark fruit driven nose, with herbs. The palate shows fresher with much less soy/oxi notes, but fine red berries and some earthy notes. Fine tannin structure, melted tannins, good freshness but overall this is a bit lean and light and clearly on a fast downhill path. Nothing to write home about.

    Decanting: Decanted for 2-3 hours, that was a bit too long for this wine.

    Group score: 85.1
    Group rank: 15th out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château Petit Village 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Very intriguing strawberry and rhubarb nose, almost Burgundian at first. With time more classic Bordeaux aromas coming through with earthy notes, some truffles complementing the red fruit. On the palate this is a touch less expressive and less well defined than on the nose. A bit of red berries and some earthy notes all embedded in a fine structural frame. This is harmonious and round. Good nose but a bit lean on the palate. Solid but without any exceptionalism.

    Decanting: Decanted for 2-3 hours which worked well.

    Group score: 89.5
    Group rank: 14th out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château La Serre 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Dark berries, minerality, herbs, hints of tobacco and forest floor on the very fresh and chiseled nose. On the palate, this is very fresh and round with fine dark and dark red berries, herbs and minerality. Medium complexity only but quite well defined. The tannins are fine, well-rounded, good acidity, fresh and light. A bit on the leaner side of thing on the palate. Missing a bit of maturity and roundness but promising. The nose showed better than the palate, which is quite lean. 91/92 pts.

    Decanting: Decanted for 2-3 hours which worked well.

    Group score: 90.6
    Group rank: 12th out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château Berliquet 86 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Fresh and minerality driven nose with alcohol showing. On the palate this shows brighter red berries, some darker berries, herbs and minerality but there is also alcohol showing and it is a bit green and drying. The attack is the highlight here and deserves some praise but the wine is thinning out a bit from the mid palate on and is slightly drying towards the finish.

    Decanting: Decanted for 2-3 hours which seemed ok.

    Group score: 90.1
    Group rank: 13th out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Expressive dark fruit and dark red fruit nose with dominating flavors of tobacco and forest floor. On the palate a very silky and velvety texture with melted tannins, superbly well-integrated acidity. A broad array of tertiary aromas with truffles, tobacco, forrest floor, dark red berries and herbs as well as crushed rock. This was the first and remained one of the only wines in the lineup which showed beautiful tertiary aromas. One of the winners of the tasting and it seems at its peak today.

    Decanting: Decanted for probably 2-3 hours which worked well.

    Group score: 93.3
    Group rank: 7th out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château Rouget 91 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Medium- expressive nose displaying mostly dark berries, herbs. The palate is silky and round, with a fine potpourri of red and dark berries, herbs and some leavy notes. Fine, round. Overall this is a bit light and lean but still quite pleasant to drink today.

    Decanting: Decanted for probably 2-3 hours which worked well.

    Group score: 90.9
    Group rank: 11th out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Tenuta dell'Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia Flawed

    Italy, Tuscany, Bolgheri, Bolgheri Superiore

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Added as a ringer to the tasting (double blind). Oxidized, dead, which is a shame as this Ornellaia vintage can be amazing and represents the best Italian Bordeaux blend I’ve had to date (twice tasted with 98 pts).

    Decanting: Double decanted and consumed a few hours later.

    Group score: NA
    Group rank: 16th out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château L'Evangile 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    Quite complex, well defined and very fine. The most elegant wine so far.

    TN: Not super well defined on the nose but the palate shows very, very well. Very expressive, intense with a lot of substance. Dark red fruit galore, some forest floor, leaves, bit of truffles, good minerality. The full spectrum and well-defined. Melted tannins, good freshness, medium length, slightly velvety texture. Overall balanced, very harmonious. This is one of the winners of the tasting, although parts of the group were less excited. The nose was a bit muted and my guess is, that the wine has been decanted a touch too long but on the palate it showed everything you can wish for in a mature Claret.

    Decanting: Decanted for probably 3-4 hours which was probably too long.

    Group score: 92.6
    Group rank: 8th out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château Figeac 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Not overly expressive nose. Dark berries, tobacco showing shining through a bit. On the palate, the wine is better. There’s quite some substance, good depth with seductive, ripe dark berries, minerality and earthy notes. Some iron aromas stand out. Melted tannins, good tension and freshness, velvety texture, good length. Ver balanced and round. Overall a success but of course in no way comparable (in terms of depth, precision and finesse) to the wines that are produced at this winery these days.

    Decanting: Decanted for probably 3-4 hours which was a bit too long for this wine.

    Group score: 91.6
    Group rank: 10th out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Ridge Monte Bello 95 Points

    USA, California, Santa Cruz Mountains

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Added as a ringer to the tasting (double blind). Intense, open nose displaying a sweet dark berries core with very pleasant minty notes to complement and giving away its Californian origin. In fact, I thought we might be drinking a Heitz Martha’s Vyd. On the palate very elegant, lots of finesse and at the same time loads of ripe dark berries, minty notes, herbs and crushed rocks. This was one of the best wines and although Californian, it is still well-behaved, not too ripe or excessive – typical Ridge.

    Decanting: Decanted for probably 3-4 hours which worked well.

    Group score: 93.5
    Group rank: 6th out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château La Fleur-Pétrus 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Intense, very fresh dark fruited nose with lots of herbs and a certain brightness to it that other wines in this tasting did not show. Some bretty hints which add to the experience. On the palate this shows bright red fruit and dark berries, herbs and minerality. Round, velvety tannins but very fresh but not very deep. With time it fills a bit out but still remains a very well crafted, fresh, pure but slightly lean wine. While the bright, pure red berry core is certainly a highlight, the complexity isn’t up there with the best wines tonight.

    Decanting: Decanted for probably 2-3 hours which worked well.

    Group score: 93.6
    Group rank: 5th out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château Valandraud 96 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Medium+ expressive dark fruited nose with forest floor and earthy notes, some herbs. With time toasty notes and coffee. Elegant and inviting. On the palate there are plenty of dark berries, dark red berries, toasty notes, earthy aromas. With time more red berries. Well-defined and very harmonious. Melted tannins, good tension and freshness with a velvety texture. Weightless. Medium length. Overall a great wine and my WOTN thanks to the highest complexity, the best definition combined with the most weightless structure and feel. A fantastic wine that is starting to drinking at its peak but it will certainly add more teritary aromas over the coming years becoming even a touch better. The wine got 4 votes for WOTN and 11 out of 16 people rated it 95 pts or higher, more than any other wine.

    Decanting: Decanted for probably 3-4 hours which worked perfectly.

    Group score: 94.4
    Group rank: 2nd out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château Trotanoy 90 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Very shy nose. Not giving much. On the palate herbal, minerality driven, not a enough fruit to balance it out. With time a bit more red berries and some coffee notes show up but the wine remains lean and green. Elegant frame but overall a bit muted, and light. 90pts, which is probably too generous. Looking at the much more enthusiastic notes here, our bottle was either not correct or decanted for far to long so that all the fruit disappeared.

    Decanting: Decanted for probably 4+ hours which was probably far too long.

    Group score: 92.4
    Group rank: 9th out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château Angélus 95 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: At first this had no nose only with time, it got some life with some fresh red fruit showing. Better on the palate with good weight and substance from the attack to the long finish. Intense black berries, dark red berries, with time brighter red fruit, ripe but not too ripe, earthy minerality, some hints of coffee which are great. Wonderful round and elegant frame, good tension and no excess weight. This was a success and certainly one of the best vintages for Angelus although I don’t believe it will reach the same highs as the 1990 (or in the future the 2016). The wine got 5 votes for WOTN and 10 out of 16 people gave 95pts or higher.

    Decanting: Decanted for probably 4+ hours which was probably rather too long for this wine (and might have killed the nose). I would go for 2 hours.

    Group score: 94.9
    Group rank: 1st out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château Cheval Blanc 94 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Fresh dark fruit and herbs on the nose but overall not that inviting or deep. On the palate fresh blue and red berries, crushed rocks, earthy notes, Very light, very much in the weightless camp. Fine tannins, the freshness is great. Missing a touch seductiveness, sweetness and overall depth. Overall good but without the optimal fruit balance to make it great and without the precision of other legendary Cheval vintages as well as no tertiary aromas yet which would add to the complexity. There are two different Cheval 1998 bottlings, this was one that is consistently good but not great. The wine got 3 votes for WOTN but overall only 5 (out of 16) people gave 95 or more pts.

    Decanting: Decanted for probably 5+ hours and the wine improved quite markedly over this time frame.

    Group score: 94.0
    Group rank: 3rd out of 16 reds

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  • 1998 Château Ausone 92 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

    Almost 25 years later, it’s a great time to check in on the wines of the much lauded right bank vintage. All wines tasted single blind. A few observations: A) most wines showed quite open with a melted tannin structure, but still good tension across the board. B) The highlight was rather on the structural side (elegance and finesse in most wines), than on the aromatic depth side, which was limited, also due to… C) …the fact that there is limited tertiary expression yet. Most wines will need at least another 5 to rather 10 years to reach their peak. D) An average rating of 91.9pts in my book and 92.0pts for the group shows that despite a few highlights, the reception was mixed overall. E) Best wines today were Angelus (group average 94.9pts), Valandraud (94.4) and Cheval Blanc (94.0). I would put L’Evangile (rated 95pts) in the top category too but the group (average 92.6) was less enthusiastic.

    TN: Shy, greenish, even slightly corky nose at frist. Fortunately, with time these faulty notes disappeared and some dark fruit and coffee notes came forward. Right from the start the palate shows beautiful, fine red fruit, some red berries and then more and more coffee notes. Medium+ length. Impeccable structural frame. This showed promising although not overly deep and open. Maybe the long decant took away a bit of the expression, maybe the wine is still in a dormant phase.

    Decanting: Decanted for probably 6+ hours. Not sure if it was too long. I would go for max 2 hours.

    Group score: 93.9
    Group rank: 4th out of 16 reds

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Flight 3 (2 Notes)

  • 1998 Pirramimma Late Harvest Riesling 85 Points

    Australia, South Australia, Fleurieu, McLaren Vale

    Two sweet wines from 1998 to finish the tasting. The Pirramimma Riesling (85pts) from Australia was a hot, alcoholic mess with loads of petrol notes and heat but had a good freshness/sweetness balance. Not my favorite aroma profile. The Lafaurie Peyraguey (93pts) show much better with the typical Sauternes saffron aromas and quince, apricot and minerality as additional components. Here too, a good freshness/sweetness balance. Clearly not the most complex wine either, but a treat to drink.

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  • 1998 Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 93 Points

    France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

    Two sweet wines from 1998 to finish the tasting. The Pirramimma Riesling (85pts) from Australia was a hot, alcoholic mess with loads of petrol notes and heat but had a good freshness/sweetness balance. Not my favorite aroma profile. The Lafaurie Peyraguey (93pts) show much better with the typical Sauternes saffron aromas and quince, apricot and minerality as additional components. Here too, a good freshness/sweetness balance. Clearly not the most complex wine either, but a treat to drink.

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