Valandrau vertical (1991-2020) (Fribourg): Selected tasting notes from a complete Valandraud vertical (1991-2020) hosted by a collector with an estate representative. Main observation was that both the work the estate did during the transition phase 2000-2012 is clearly bearing fruit in more recent vintages, further helped by warmer growing seasons that are favorable for this cool site in St Emillon. Additional comments included in the tasting story.
Tasting note: Ripe dark cherry fruit, earthy with a bit of charcoal. Dense and structured palate, not yet integrated but with sufficient substance to carry this to the finishing line. Maybe retry in 5 years?
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Stunning. And nice rebound from last time I drank it (see caveat at bottom). Nose near perfection; others wrote of "tension", completely agree. Blackcurrants, pencil, whiff of red berries, in tense harmony with refreshing acidity. Powerfully feminine, this was perhaps the best wine I've drank in over a year. Initial taste bone dry, sweet fruit emerges mid palate and builds through finish but sweetness never overbearing, always in balance. Fine, firm tannins provide great structure, but never overwhelming. They hold the whole thing together for long finish with the acidity. Drank with Japanese wagyu teppanyaki medium rare, plenty of fat, pairing was bliss. I was already tipsy and usually stop drinking by then but I just couldn't stop drinking this one hangover be damned and finished bottle. The nose was borderline perfection but the whole palate delivered too. This wine/night one of those rare nights for me, the ones you live for as wine lover. When you find your perfection.
i dinged a few points given caveat below. otherwise would've been 98-99.
*caveat* previous 98 Valandraud drank in July 2020, my same exact case same storage, was jammy with stewed strawberries, and totally lacked the tension, black fruit, structure and complexity of this one. total meh..in plain english it didn't at all live up to what i hoped. all around that exact same wine 2.5 years ago might've well been a different (vastly inferior) wine vs this one. looking at other comments, seems there may be some variability here. lol for the expensive crapshoot!
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Still alive and well. Classic right bank. Black pepper, smoked cedar, boysenberry. Still do not think it is worth the hype or price, though maybe this is one that is better young.
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16x Right Bank Bordeaux 1998: 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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General observations: Unfortunately, the tasting was below my expectations. The was no real "wow-effect" at any wines as I had with the left bank tasting 1982-1990 we had a year ago. So I had to find out, that, me, personally, I like more the aged left than the aged right banks. In the end, Ridge Montebello (pirate) ended even up being the wine of the night for me.
_______
TN: precise and fresh, this is nice, almost no signs of aging, redish fruits, youthful, this was nice to sniff
wild berries, with a lot of tension, well balanced and integrated, good package, high acidity and fun to drink
can keep for another decade at least
this was also amongst my best rated and liked wines of the night
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Bordeaux Right Bank 1998 tasting (Essenz (Brugg)): Bordeaux right bank 1998 tasting. All wines were served single blind and were decanted several hours. The sample showed i/ generally healthy and structured wines, still quite primary with further aging potential; ii/ the overall performance was below expectations considering the repute of the vintage for the right bank (although this may be due to the very long aeration), iii/ top wine for me were 1. Valandrau (95), 2. L’Evangile (95), 3. Angélus (94) while for the group the ranking was 1. Angélus (94.9), 2. Valandrau (94.4), 3. Cheval Blanc (94.0). Complete list including group scores included in the tasting story.
Tasting note: Delicate red berry fruit bouquet laced with detailed aging notes of dried leaves and underwood, just a whiff of spice, black coffee and iron-like minerality. Herbal complexity adds a splash of freshness. The palate has a nice lightness to it with a soft tannic structure, but cannot push entirely through from attack to finish. The WOTN for me and #3 in the group.
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Decanted for 30 mins before serving. It is so beautiful with plum fruit, perfume, raspberries and blackberries. It is sweet and layered with lots of nuance. Drinking amazingly well now. 93-94
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Drinking beautifully at this point. had from a 3L bottle so still drinking like it has a long life ahead. Tannins mostly resolved, cool mature bordeaux. graphite, leather. loved this.
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Bouteille et bouchon en parfaite condition. Ouvert durant 45 minutes avant consommation. Couleur grenat moyen avec traces d’évolution. Nez immédiat sur des arômes de truffe, de chocolat noir et de tabac. La bouche n’est pas en reste avec un côté sexy de bel aloi, une belle tenue et une très bonne longueur. Excellent, à boire!
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This wine needed to be decanted even now. Still young. Extremely aromatic, on the nose, violet, purple flower, blue berries foam, and dark roses, on the palate, great length, aicidity had a good grip, modest tannin with great structure, black tea, dark currants with a touch of red fruits, nice acidity supported very long finish. Certainly got the characters of higher % of merlot. It is 80% merlot and 20% carb franc.
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Drank blind against the '89 and '90 Haut Brion with the theory that this bottle is a poor man's equivalent of those. That theory did not hold up and this was the table's least favorite wine. The cigar box present in the Haut Brion's were much more expressive than in this wine. Having said that, still a very good bottle.
Definitely not as good as I was expecting. Still displaying a nice dark color, the thought occurred to me that I was still drinking this too young. First elements after a decant were vegetal with smooth tannins. After perhaps 30 minutes in the glass you could coax out some nice floral touches with subtle notes of cedar, herbs, maybe a touch earthiness to it. Perhaps I made a mistake and should've decanted it ahead of time; it ended up being ok but the "modernist" bordeaux touch doesn't seem to do it for me. Tasted alongside a similar vintage Haut Brion and it wasn't even close in its strength and complexity.
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Enjoyable, but not quite as good as the lat bottle from two years ago. Still shows quite young. Ripe, juicy fruits, coupled with tobacco, violets, and dark chocolate. A multi-layered wine on the palate, but in need of more time as it was overall a bit shy. Wait a few more years on this one.
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Deep ruby in color, no sign of any browning. Mocha, cedar and tobacco and black currant in the nose. Tannin integrated nicely There is a lack of acidity that would make this wine perhaps more enjoyable and age further.
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Polished wine great with steak, just never really got the "wow" factor. Decanted for an hour, then followed in the glass, it just stayed in the same spot. Perhaps young? Served from magnum so maybe a bit backward. In sum: enjoyable but not profound. Will appeal more to New World palates, which definitely isn't me.
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Again, a stunning 1998 right bank Bordeaux. The optimum maturity shows beautiful nose and full body, with good acidity, and velvety tannins. So good to drink it now, could keep its peak untill 2020.
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Drank over two hours at U Club. Dark and viscous. Rich and milky nose, with dense black fruit, some spearmint note which was pronounced at first, cocoa and pipe tobacco. Palate was structured, showing more berry, mocha, pipe and a touch of herbs. Excellent find on the clubs list. A true garagiste wine.
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BYO (Østerbro): A little restrained on the nose but still showing dark plums and black currant with some black pepper and a lavender like floral touch. Juicy and dense dark plums on the palate with a lot of spices but also a solid freshness and balance. A lovely wine with a nice intensity.
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It's been a few years since I have had this wine. It has come a long way. A nicely perfumed nose of black fruit, crushed rock, a bit of earth and oak. The palate is round and wonderfully balanced. More dark fruit, hint of chocolate. Medium+ depth. The fruit is young, but the integration shows the age and this has improved. Nice now, but this will continue to develop.
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Drinks at the North End Grill with Matt L. in town (NYC): Definitely the most impressive Bordeaux I've come across from any of the 'modernist' right bank producers. It's certainly quite ripe, but very well balanced with a core of rich dark fruited flavours accented by cedar, tobacco and more exotic green herbal and peppery notes (Faryan mentions there's a lot of Cab Franc in this.) Like the Trotanoy it still comes across very youthful with the tannic spine making its presence felt on the back end, but it's certainly very enjoyable to drink now.
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I really like this! Seemed to have a cool fruit profile, nice earth, tobacco and currant notes. The palate certainly had som heft to it, but was nicely balanced and fresh. I was surprised the bottle was this young when Faryan revealed it. 15 going on 20.
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Tasting this wine blind in a flight of '98 right bankers, i mixed it up with the Tertre Rotebeouf expecting it to be the most exotic in the group. It actually showed refinement, restraint and balance (at least compared to what I was expecting) with more red fruits and good acidic grip. There were certainly some exotic spice and violet notes but overall this showed well and fairly traditional.
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Double decanted 3-4 hours prior to service and drank over an hour or two. Threw some mild sediment. The wine didn't show much evolution in the glass, so I wonder if I should have popped and poured as the nose was more effusive and primary upon opening. Not as cab franc driven as the previous bottle which shows more stalk and pepper qualities, but just as lush and round. Wonderful mocha, briar and bramble on the nose with an eclectic note of spreamint that speaks to its freshness. Completely red fruit driven. The mouthfeel is so round with the quality of the merlot taking center stage. Perhaps I would like something more rustic, savage and earthy (esp from the 50% cab franc) but I think the philosophy of Valandraud is all about a regal expression of wine. It marries wonderfully with the lamb. A pleasure to drink.
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The wine opens with truffle, earth, dark plums, coffee, anise and smoke filled aromatics. This elegant, rich stylish wine fills your mouth with ripe dark berries, licorice and sweet black cherry. Fully mature, this should drink well for at least another decade.
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Eleven 1998 St Emilions and a Lone Pomerol. Maybe some Yquem too (Bethesda, MD): I knew this wine would be special when I opened it and smelled the wafting perfume emenating from the bottle and the cork. The wine has the most character on the pallate, with a lovely bell pepper quality most likely derived from cabernet franc (50% CF, a record for V at the time of this note). The pepper driven green tannin aspect was simply superbly balanced and wonederfully compact. It has such a regal pitch to its nose and such poise in the glass. With swirling, there are notes of briary blackberry and sweet cocoa. In the mouth, there is wonderful depth and plushness to the mouthfeel, with hints of pure red fruit. Simply outstanding with more upside. It makes me want to seek out more cab franc from the vintage (Cheval anyone?). My red WOTN by far.
1998 Right Bank Bordeaux Dinner (Rockville, Maryland): Even sexier than the Rol Valentin. This offers up chocolate, cherries, deep espresso and charred wood in the bouquet. Later on it became ‘milky’ which I found irresistable. Fluent mid-palate. Notes of espresso beans in the finish. A little short on length though. This has precise delineation which the Rol lacks. This also needs more time. [94-95]
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This bottle reminds me some character of Latour 1961, many good scents combined like all small pieces in the beautiful jigsaw. Good clean and very seductive in Petrus style. The body is quite tight but no hard edge, a little bit dense yet elegant. Very beautiful texture and shows how great of vintage balance. The aftertaste blows my mind gettin' in and pass through the imagination.Not that long but full-filled in every single dimension of my soul. This is totally perfect stuff indeed, beyond expectation !!!
Crazy little thing called " Petit Petrus "
Drink now - 2021...............93-96+/100.........................
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Dark rich ripe nose of pure black cherry fruit with elements of smoke, bacon and herb. Big black fruit on palate with a charred quality, touch lean withvery slight bitter edge and green herbal note. Still, quality shines through as black cherry is dominant character followed by lead pencil. I tated this as 5/12 but it was groups WOTN beating out my WOTN, 1998 Mouton, Wines all tasted blind.
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The aromatics displayed chocolate covered back and red fruits with an intriguing, light citrus accent. Big, rich, fat, and thick, with a very, sexy palate presence, this wine should add complexity with more time.
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Rich plum, chocolate and smoke literally explode out of the bottle almost before you can get the cork out. Plush and spherical on the palate with earthy mocha and dark fruit. No reason to wait.
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I have one word for this wine: WOW! Others have mentioned that it is underrated and undervalued for what you get. I couldn't agree more. This is just terrific. The wine hasn't appreciated in value that much because 1998 wasn't a glitzy year in Bordeaux. As a result, this wine is a sleeper.
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A knockout. Blind I would've said '90 Graves. Has the same smoky, earthy plum character but also a floral lift. Also shows a ripe, roasted character I've not seen in any other '98. Plush and full, long. Really in a good place right now. Don't have a clue how this will age, and I'm not likely to find out. Plan to buy a few more and drink them.
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Big, rich, fat, thick and with a sexy palate presence. This is filled with silky ripe black fruit, licorice, floral and crushed stone elements. Full bodied, balanced and very stylish.
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Consumed with some Bryan Flannery 60 day aged Ribeyes.
I just can't keep my hands off these bottles. Maybe they'll be better in the future, but it's just damn good wine, today. As I've written before, a flavor profile that reminds me very much of '89 Haut Brion (or any really great Graves wine). Tobacco leaf flavor, great length, great balance, lots of complexity (3-D flavors), I really love this juice. An initial '93' RP rating, I've always wondered if it was underrated due to the very high Cabernet Franc component in this vintage? Parker often says he underrates Cheval Blanc initially for the same reason (and the '98 CB got upgraded from 93 to 98+). Price on this wine has been pretty stable over the last few years ($200 or so), so it's actually cheapened relative to other great wines that have massively escalated in price. Guess those tricky wine funds aren't buying this (great!).
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HDH 1998 Right Bank Tasting (Tru): Full soft red color. Forward nose of ripe red fruit with nice green pepper and briar hints. Mmmn, rich round black and red fruit on the palate with sweet notes of chocolate. Delicious and hedonistic. This is clearly a different animal from the rest of the right bankers at this tasting and I can see the concern about style differences (this tastes as California as it does Bordeaux), but I thought it was great - my WOTN. Now whether it is worth the premium, hmmmmn...
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This was a pleasant surprise. Beautiful aroma, smooth, almost creamy in the midpalate, with a smoky, bacon-like taste on the finish. Very well balanced. Reminded us of the 2001 Rupert & Rothschild Baron Edmond. But a lot more elegant. This was terrific.
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Consumed at Craft Oh yeah. Now we hit the good stuff. This is a Grrrreat bottle of wine. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that the nose, flavor profile (cedar tobacco mix) and the length is, for me, very reminicient of the '89 Haut Brion. I know, heresy. But that's what I think. I love this wine. I believe that the relatively high cabernet franc component in the '98 version caused it to get a 'low' initial rating (93). Same as '98 Cheval Blanc. I believe, today, this wine is seriously underrated and cheap for this level of quality.
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Damn, this is one delicious bottle of wine. Not sure how long it will hold, maybe another 10 years? But, IMHO, it's drinking much better than the earlier reviews of this wine (RP, Tanzer) would indicate. Guess this stuff really can improve in the bottle. If I'd tasted it blind, I would have gone for a high-end graves. Nice tobacco taste, a litle bit of tannin, good length. Purchased 2 or 3 years ago for $150 per bottle from Calvert Woodley, I'm going to look around for some more.
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12/4/2023 - sirpat00 wrote: 92 Points
Valandrau vertical (1991-2020) (Fribourg): Selected tasting notes from a complete Valandraud vertical (1991-2020) hosted by a collector with an estate representative. Main observation was that both the work the estate did during the transition phase 2000-2012 is clearly bearing fruit in more recent vintages, further helped by warmer growing seasons that are favorable for this cool site in St Emillon. Additional comments included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
Ripe dark cherry fruit, earthy with a bit of charcoal. Dense and structured palate, not yet integrated but with sufficient substance to carry this to the finishing line. Maybe retry in 5 years?
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10/6/2023 - paulst Likes this wine: 94 Points
Smooth and earthy elegancy with nice light and balanced berry fruit with and lone elegant finish.
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1/15/2023 - AAF2012 Likes this wine: 95 Points
Stunning. And nice rebound from last time I drank it (see caveat at bottom). Nose near perfection; others wrote of "tension", completely agree. Blackcurrants, pencil, whiff of red berries, in tense harmony with refreshing acidity. Powerfully feminine, this was perhaps the best wine I've drank in over a year. Initial taste bone dry, sweet fruit emerges mid palate and builds through finish but sweetness never overbearing, always in balance. Fine, firm tannins provide great structure, but never overwhelming. They hold the whole thing together for long finish with the acidity. Drank with Japanese wagyu teppanyaki medium rare, plenty of fat, pairing was bliss. I was already tipsy and usually stop drinking by then but I just couldn't stop drinking this one hangover be damned and finished bottle. The nose was borderline perfection but the whole palate delivered too. This wine/night one of those rare nights for me, the ones you live for as wine lover. When you find your perfection.
i dinged a few points given caveat below. otherwise would've been 98-99.
*caveat* previous 98 Valandraud drank in July 2020, my same exact case same storage, was jammy with stewed strawberries, and totally lacked the tension, black fruit, structure and complexity of this one. total meh..in plain english it didn't at all live up to what i hoped. all around that exact same wine 2.5 years ago might've well been a different (vastly inferior) wine vs this one. looking at other comments, seems there may be some variability here. lol for the expensive crapshoot!
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12/26/2022 - THECORKDORK Likes this wine: 92 Points
Still alive and well. Classic right bank. Black pepper, smoked cedar, boysenberry. Still do not think it is worth the hype or price, though maybe this is one that is better young.
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12/18/2022 - Cailles wrote: 96 Points
16x Right Bank Bordeaux 1998: 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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11/26/2022 - La Sprezzatura wrote: 94 Points
1998 Horizontal Bordeaux Right Bank Tasting (private) (Essen'z): All wines were tasted single blind and were decanted before tasting. 14 right bank bordeaux and 2 pirates. All wines were from the vintage 1998.
General observations:
Unfortunately, the tasting was below my expectations. The was no real "wow-effect" at any wines as I had with the left bank tasting 1982-1990 we had a year ago. So I had to find out, that, me, personally, I like more the aged left than the aged right banks. In the end, Ridge Montebello (pirate) ended even up being the wine of the night for me.
_______
TN:
precise and fresh, this is nice, almost no signs of aging, redish fruits, youthful, this was nice to sniff
wild berries, with a lot of tension, well balanced and integrated, good package, high acidity and fun to drink
can keep for another decade at least
this was also amongst my best rated and liked wines of the night
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11/26/2022 - sirpat00 wrote: 95 Points
Bordeaux Right Bank 1998 tasting (Essenz (Brugg)): Bordeaux right bank 1998 tasting. All wines were served single blind and were decanted several hours. The sample showed i/ generally healthy and structured wines, still quite primary with further aging potential; ii/ the overall performance was below expectations considering the repute of the vintage for the right bank (although this may be due to the very long aeration), iii/ top wine for me were 1. Valandrau (95), 2. L’Evangile (95), 3. Angélus (94) while for the group the ranking was 1. Angélus (94.9), 2. Valandrau (94.4), 3. Cheval Blanc (94.0). Complete list including group scores included in the tasting story.
Tasting note:
Delicate red berry fruit bouquet laced with detailed aging notes of dried leaves and underwood, just a whiff of spice, black coffee and iron-like minerality. Herbal complexity adds a splash of freshness. The palate has a nice lightness to it with a soft tannic structure, but cannot push entirely through from attack to finish. The WOTN for me and #3 in the group.
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11/22/2022 - Burgnick Likes this wine: 93 Points
Decanted for 30 mins before serving. It is so beautiful with plum fruit, perfume, raspberries and blackberries. It is sweet and layered with lots of nuance. Drinking amazingly well now. 93-94
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9/18/2022 - Rouyi Likes this wine: 92 Points
Aroma was classic, graphite, cedar, earth, mushroom, leather. medium body, rich, luscious and nice acidity. Enjoy a good vintage, drink well now.
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9/6/2022 - paulst Likes this wine: 95 Points
In a nice spot now; gathered and balanced; light blackberry with soft tannin and nice acidic support; pleasant soft semi sweet finish.
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7/5/2022 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Plum and clay; coarse; textured; elegant smooth finish.
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11/15/2021 - Philippe_C wrote: 92 Points
Nez de sous bois, mushrooms, herbe coupée.. Very nice freshness, nice acidity, red berries.
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7/4/2021 - paulst Likes this wine: 90 Points
Light leather nose; light blackberry-cherry; complex; light smooth finish.
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9/6/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Clay and sweet blackberry; a bit tannic; some more time required; nice balance but tannic; sweet elegant finish.
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7/6/2020 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Sweet raspberry; clay; sweet and sour; tannins present; sweet finish.
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6/30/2020 - RWG Likes this wine: 95 Points
Drinking beautifully at this point. had from a 3L bottle so still drinking like it has a long life ahead. Tannins mostly resolved, cool mature bordeaux. graphite, leather. loved this.
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8/18/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 93 Points
Leather and tar nose; moderate complexity; light blackberry with tannins still present.
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7/23/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 92 Points
Rubber; earthy blackberry; tannic sweet finish.
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5/30/2019 - paulst Likes this wine: 91 Points
Fruit and clay nose; plum and cherry and youthful; tannic presence; rugged; light but tannic finish.
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11/12/2018 - Ericsson Likes this wine: 95 Points
Bouteille et bouchon en parfaite condition.
Ouvert durant 45 minutes avant consommation.
Couleur grenat moyen avec traces d’évolution.
Nez immédiat sur des arômes de truffe, de chocolat noir et de tabac.
La bouche n’est pas en reste avec un côté sexy de bel aloi, une belle tenue et une très bonne longueur.
Excellent, à boire!
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10/31/2018 - wineguy75 Likes this wine: 96 Points
1 hour decant. lots of tobacco. great QPR. incredible nose. right in the sweet spot right now
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8/23/2018 - Ms. Bubblehead Likes this wine:
This wine needed to be decanted even now. Still young. Extremely aromatic, on the nose, violet, purple flower, blue berries foam, and dark roses, on the palate, great length, aicidity had a good grip, modest tannin with great structure, black tea, dark currants with a touch of red fruits, nice acidity supported very long finish. Certainly got the characters of higher % of merlot. It is 80% merlot and 20% carb franc.
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2/27/2018 - mtrain Likes this wine: 94 Points
Takes time to open. Fruity, sweet, beautiful finish with lots of backbone and character.
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8/3/2017 - wineguy75 wrote: 93 Points
Drank blind against the '89 and '90 Haut Brion with the theory that this bottle is a poor man's equivalent of those. That theory did not hold up and this was the table's least favorite wine. The cigar box present in the Haut Brion's were much more expressive than in this wine. Having said that, still a very good bottle.
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4/30/2017 - hrazdiiv wrote: 90 Points
Definitely not as good as I was expecting. Still displaying a nice dark color, the thought occurred to me that I was still drinking this too young. First elements after a decant were vegetal with smooth tannins. After perhaps 30 minutes in the glass you could coax out some nice floral touches with subtle notes of cedar, herbs, maybe a touch earthiness to it. Perhaps I made a mistake and should've decanted it ahead of time; it ended up being ok but the "modernist" bordeaux touch doesn't seem to do it for me. Tasted alongside a similar vintage Haut Brion and it wasn't even close in its strength and complexity.
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4/14/2017 - DrinkBordeaux wrote: 93 Points
Enjoyable, but not quite as good as the lat bottle from two years ago. Still shows quite young. Ripe, juicy fruits, coupled with tobacco, violets, and dark chocolate. A multi-layered wine on the palate, but in need of more time as it was overall a bit shy. Wait a few more years on this one.
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2/28/2017 - wineguy75 Likes this wine: 95 Points
1hr decant drunk over 2 nights. Tobacco and smoky. Drinking great now.
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6/5/2016 - Frank Schneider wrote: 92 Points
Very nice mature bordeaux !!! needed 2 h of air ! All in good place but definitly not worth the market Price .
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2/6/2015 - conviction buy Likes this wine: 92 Points
Deep ruby in color, no sign of any browning. Mocha, cedar and tobacco and black currant in the nose. Tannin integrated nicely There is a lack of acidity that would make this wine perhaps more enjoyable and age further.
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1/30/2015 - Alex G. Likes this wine:
Polished wine great with steak, just never really got the "wow" factor. Decanted for an hour, then followed in the glass, it just stayed in the same spot. Perhaps young? Served from magnum so maybe a bit backward. In sum: enjoyable but not profound. Will appeal more to New World palates, which definitely isn't me.
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10/30/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 93 Points
Similar to the last bottle. Loads of oak and chocolate on the nose and palate. Didn't hold up as well on day 2.
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9/16/2014 - Button Yang Likes this wine: 96 Points
Again, a stunning 1998 right bank Bordeaux. The optimum maturity shows beautiful nose and full body, with good acidity, and velvety tannins. So good to drink it now, could keep its peak untill 2020.
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3/30/2014 - T.E.D. Likes this wine: 93 Points
Drank over two hours at U Club. Dark and viscous. Rich and milky nose, with dense black fruit, some spearmint note which was pronounced at first, cocoa and pipe tobacco. Palate was structured, showing more berry, mocha, pipe and a touch of herbs. Excellent find on the clubs list. A true garagiste wine.
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1/14/2014 - canan wrote: 95 Points
BYO (Østerbro): A little restrained on the nose but still showing dark plums and black currant with some black pepper and a lavender like floral touch.
Juicy and dense dark plums on the palate with a lot of spices but also a solid freshness and balance. A lovely wine with a nice intensity.
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1/4/2014 - johnh1001 wrote: 94 Points
It's been a few years since I have had this wine. It has come a long way. A nicely perfumed nose of black fruit, crushed rock, a bit of earth and oak. The palate is round and wonderfully balanced. More dark fruit, hint of chocolate. Medium+ depth. The fruit is young, but the integration shows the age and this has improved. Nice now, but this will continue to develop.
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4/20/2013 - salil wrote: 91 Points
Drinks at the North End Grill with Matt L. in town (NYC): Definitely the most impressive Bordeaux I've come across from any of the 'modernist' right bank producers. It's certainly quite ripe, but very well balanced with a core of rich dark fruited flavours accented by cedar, tobacco and more exotic green herbal and peppery notes (Faryan mentions there's a lot of Cab Franc in this.) Like the Trotanoy it still comes across very youthful with the tannic spine making its presence felt on the back end, but it's certainly very enjoyable to drink now.
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4/20/2013 - tooch wrote: 93 Points
Dinner in NYC (North End Grill - New York, NY): Served blind.
I really like this! Seemed to have a cool fruit profile, nice earth, tobacco and currant notes. The palate certainly had som heft to it, but was nicely balanced and fresh. I was surprised the bottle was this young when Faryan revealed it. 15 going on 20.
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1/25/2013 - dream Likes this wine: 92 Points
Tasting this wine blind in a flight of '98 right bankers, i mixed it up with the Tertre Rotebeouf expecting it to be the most exotic in the group. It actually showed refinement, restraint and balance (at least compared to what I was expecting) with more red fruits and good acidic grip. There were certainly some exotic spice and violet notes but overall this showed well and fairly traditional.
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7/24/2011 - dcwino wrote: 93 Points
Impromptu Sunday Bordeaux gathering at Ruth Chris Tysons Corner, VA (Ruth Chris Tysons Corner, VA): Significantly more youthful than the 95, Faryan mentioned the highest cab franc % and it shows. Green pepper/burnt ash, bitter chocolate, not unlike the 98 Pavie. Drinking well but will improve.
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7/14/2011 - Faryan wrote: 94 Points
Double decanted 3-4 hours prior to service and drank over an hour or two. Threw some mild sediment. The wine didn't show much evolution in the glass, so I wonder if I should have popped and poured as the nose was more effusive and primary upon opening. Not as cab franc driven as the previous bottle which shows more stalk and pepper qualities, but just as lush and round. Wonderful mocha, briar and bramble on the nose with an eclectic note of spreamint that speaks to its freshness. Completely red fruit driven. The mouthfeel is so round with the quality of the merlot taking center stage. Perhaps I would like something more rustic, savage and earthy (esp from the 50% cab franc) but I think the philosophy of Valandraud is all about a regal expression of wine. It marries wonderfully with the lamb. A pleasure to drink.
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6/14/2011 - Jeff Leve wrote: 93 Points
Coffee bean, black cherry, plum, chocolate and fennel flavors lead to a sensually textured, St. Emilion that is already close to maturity.
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3/14/2011 - PatrikO wrote: 94 Points
Very classy, the purity of the fruit is impressive in this massive bodied wine.
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2/4/2011 - PeterH wrote: 96 Points
Love this wine. Gulpably delicious...
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1/6/2011 - PeterH wrote: 96 Points
Love this juice, reminds me of '89 Haut Brion, just younger. Unfort, I'm down to about a case, got to stock up...
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7/12/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
The wine opens with truffle, earth, dark plums, coffee, anise and smoke filled aromatics. This elegant, rich stylish wine fills your mouth with ripe dark berries, licorice and sweet black cherry. Fully mature, this should drink well for at least another decade.
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2/21/2010 - Faryan wrote: 95 Points
Eleven 1998 St Emilions and a Lone Pomerol. Maybe some Yquem too (Bethesda, MD): I knew this wine would be special when I opened it and smelled the wafting perfume emenating from the bottle and the cork. The wine has the most character on the pallate, with a lovely bell pepper quality most likely derived from cabernet franc (50% CF, a record for V at the time of this note). The pepper driven green tannin aspect was simply superbly balanced and wonederfully compact. It has such a regal pitch to its nose and such poise in the glass. With swirling, there are notes of briary blackberry and sweet cocoa. In the mouth, there is wonderful depth and plushness to the mouthfeel, with hints of pure red fruit. Simply outstanding with more upside. It makes me want to seek out more cab franc from the vintage (Cheval anyone?). My red WOTN by far.
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2/20/2010 - Kevin_C wrote: 95 Points
1998 Right Bank Bordeaux Dinner (Rockville, Maryland): Even sexier than the Rol Valentin. This offers up chocolate, cherries, deep espresso and charred wood in the bouquet. Later on it became ‘milky’ which I found irresistable. Fluent mid-palate. Notes of espresso beans in the finish. A little short on length though. This has precise delineation which the Rol lacks. This also needs more time. [94-95]
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8/27/2009 - noppakit s. wrote: 94 Points
This bottle reminds me some character of Latour 1961, many good scents combined like all small pieces in the beautiful jigsaw. Good clean and very seductive in Petrus style.
The body is quite tight but no hard edge, a little bit dense yet elegant. Very beautiful texture and shows how great of vintage balance.
The aftertaste blows my mind gettin' in and pass through the imagination.Not that long but full-filled in every single dimension of my soul.
This is totally perfect stuff indeed, beyond expectation !!!
Crazy little thing called " Petit Petrus "
Drink now - 2021...............93-96+/100.........................
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6/22/2009 - KenK wrote: 92 Points
Dark rich ripe nose of pure black cherry fruit with elements of smoke, bacon and herb.
Big black fruit on palate with a charred quality, touch lean withvery slight bitter edge and green herbal note. Still, quality shines through as black cherry is dominant character followed by lead pencil. I tated this as 5/12 but it was groups WOTN beating out my WOTN, 1998 Mouton, Wines all tasted blind.
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12/23/2008 - JScott wrote: 93 Points
No reason to be holding these. Showy now and not in immanent danger of decline, but also unlikely to be a better version of what it is than now.
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10/15/2008 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
The aromatics displayed chocolate covered back and red fruits with an intriguing, light citrus accent. Big, rich, fat, and thick, with a very, sexy palate presence, this wine should add complexity with more time.
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9/26/2008 - PeterH wrote: 94 Points
A little shorter finish than the previous bottles...
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4/27/2008 - JScott wrote: 96 Points
Rich plum, chocolate and smoke literally explode out of the bottle almost before you can get the cork out. Plush and spherical on the palate with earthy mocha and dark fruit. No reason to wait.
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4/15/2008 - markellen.foodies@gmail.com wrote: 96 Points
French Bakery BYO 2000+prior Bordeaux Right Bank(Libournais) (French Bakery, Kane concourse, Bay Harbor Islands, Florida): Craig's wine, for which he apparently paid a small fortune, and which he shared with us, in its initial trial. THANK YOU CRAIG!Hands down WOTF, and to my taste WOTN. A World Class Wine with a captivating bouquet, rich dark fruit, great tactile pleasure, and an extended finish. Everthing I seek in a great wine. What more can be said?
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3/9/2008 - JScott wrote: flawed
Corked. Sh*t.
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2/28/2008 - JJA wrote: 95 Points
I have one word for this wine: WOW! Others have mentioned that it is underrated and undervalued for what you get. I couldn't agree more. This is just terrific. The wine hasn't appreciated in value that much because 1998 wasn't a glitzy year in Bordeaux. As a result, this wine is a sleeper.
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1/6/2008 - JScott wrote: 96 Points
A knockout. Blind I would've said '90 Graves. Has the same smoky, earthy plum character but also a floral lift. Also shows a ripe, roasted character I've not seen in any other '98. Plush and full, long. Really in a good place right now. Don't have a clue how this will age, and I'm not likely to find out. Plan to buy a few more and drink them.
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8/31/2007 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Big, rich, fat, thick and with a sexy palate presence. This is filled with silky ripe black fruit, licorice, floral and crushed stone elements. Full bodied, balanced and very stylish.
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5/12/2007 - PeterH wrote: 97 Points
Consumed with some Bryan Flannery 60 day aged Ribeyes.
I just can't keep my hands off these bottles. Maybe they'll be better in the future, but it's just damn good wine, today. As I've written before, a flavor profile that reminds me very much of '89 Haut Brion (or any really great Graves wine). Tobacco leaf flavor, great length, great balance, lots of complexity (3-D flavors), I really love this juice. An initial '93' RP rating, I've always wondered if it was underrated due to the very high Cabernet Franc component in this vintage? Parker often says he underrates Cheval Blanc initially for the same reason (and the '98 CB got upgraded from 93 to 98+). Price on this wine has been pretty stable over the last few years ($200 or so), so it's actually cheapened relative to other great wines that have massively escalated in price. Guess those tricky wine funds aren't buying this (great!).
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3/30/2007 - winefool wrote: 95 Points
HDH 1998 Right Bank Tasting (Tru): Full soft red color. Forward nose of ripe red fruit with nice green pepper and briar hints. Mmmn, rich round black and red fruit on the palate with sweet notes of chocolate. Delicious and hedonistic. This is clearly a different animal from the rest of the right bankers at this tasting and I can see the concern about style differences (this tastes as California as it does Bordeaux), but I thought it was great - my WOTN. Now whether it is worth the premium, hmmmmn...
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3/3/2007 - JJA wrote: 94 Points
This was a pleasant surprise. Beautiful aroma, smooth, almost creamy in the midpalate, with a smoky, bacon-like taste on the finish. Very well balanced. Reminded us of the 2001 Rupert & Rothschild Baron Edmond. But a lot more elegant. This was terrific.
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11/14/2006 - PeterH wrote: 97 Points
Consumed at Craft
Oh yeah. Now we hit the good stuff. This is a Grrrreat bottle of wine. I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say that the nose, flavor profile (cedar tobacco mix) and the length is, for me, very reminicient of the '89 Haut Brion. I know, heresy. But that's what I think. I love this wine. I believe that the relatively high cabernet franc component in the '98 version caused it to get a 'low' initial rating (93). Same as '98 Cheval Blanc. I believe, today, this wine is seriously underrated and cheap for this level of quality.
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3/31/2006 - PeterH wrote: 96 Points
Damn, this is one delicious bottle of wine. Not sure how long it will hold, maybe another 10 years? But, IMHO, it's drinking much better than the earlier reviews of this wine (RP, Tanzer) would indicate. Guess this stuff really can improve in the bottle. If I'd tasted it blind, I would have gone for a high-end graves. Nice tobacco taste, a litle bit of tannin, good length. Purchased 2 or 3 years ago for $150 per bottle from Calvert Woodley, I'm going to look around for some more.
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