Geoffrey Green

9.6

Pristine cork, decanted for 5 hours: still balanced, complex, and harmonious as a 20 year old in a challenging vintage. Fruit still lively, with mellow tannins—this still has a few years left. Came out best for me in an evening of great old wines: ‘98 Corison, ‘98 Montelena Estate, plus de la Tour ‘99. Never underestimate the consistency of a great estate, year after year. Glad I have another bottle or two. — 7 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

9.4

Many panned the 98 Napa vintage. Tasted young, it wasn’t all that good. However, never lose site that in all difficult vintages, good wines are made. Especially, with the right bottle age. They are generally from good producers who have experience, good facilities and the financial fortitude to thin crop. On the nose; floral cassis, ripe, ruby blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, sugar plum, blue fruits, dark cherries, strawberries in jam style, eucalyptus, soft spices, baking spices, dark soils, fruit tea, loamy dry soil, black moist earth, light herbaceous, used, soft leather, dry crushed rocks powder, black cherry cola, fresh red florals and violets for days. The body is full and tannins 65-70% resolved. The mouthfeel is round and glides beautifully & elegantly over the palate. Harmony in the; structure, tension, length and balance. The fruits are ripe, ruby; blackberries, black plum, black raspberries, sugar plum, blue fruits, dark cherries, raspberries, strawberries in jam style, eucalyptus, soft spices, cinnamon, clove, vanilla, dark soils, fruit tea, loamy dry soil, black moist earth, light herbaceous, used, soft leather, dry crushed rocks powder, black cherry cola, fresh red florals and violets for days. The acidity is round and like a waterfall. The finish is beautifully ripe & elegant and lasts well over a minute. Beautiful wine. Photos of; Martha’s Vineyard, Heitz Winery, tastings room bar on Hwy 29 and sitting area outside their tasting room. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

My favourite St J Chateau & been eager to pop this 💯 Parker pointer @ £180 just entering its early drinking window 😁 Already good but a sure 98-100 in 10-30yrs 👍 93-95 today

🍇 60% Cab S, 29% Mer, 6% Pet V & 5% Cab F

🍷 Deep opaque inky ruby

👃 Smokey oak, dark plum, blackcurrant, minerals, pencil lead, soggy earth, gravel, charcoal & sweet cedar

👄 Med+ body of creamy mineral infused ripe black berries & plum in mocha & liquorice

🎯 Long dark fruits filled w/ minerals & lashings of mocha & liquorice — 8 years ago

Somm David T

Independent Sommelier/Wine Educator

8.9

A glass of wine to finish up the night...good age, nice evolution and an extremely good value at $25. Recent direct Chateau purchase. While the 1998 Bordeaux vintage was panned by the critics as a whole on the Left Bank, Pessac-Leognan shined better than most on the Left Bank. It was Right Bank Saint Emilion that had the great year. This 98 Haut-Bergey is not quite the wine the 98 Haut-Bailly is. However, it is delicious for $25. Nose of; blackberries, dark cherries, cherries, strawberries leather, cedar, tobacco leaf, dry stones, vanilla, dark moist soils and fresh red florals. The body is medium to lean. Tannins are completely resolved. Ripe, lean, shining; blackberries, dark cherries, strawberries & cherries. Black moist earth, touch of funk, soft chewy leather, stones, crushed dry rock powder, cedar, tobacco leaf, steeped fruit tea, cola, dry underbrush, fresh & dry red florals, liquid violets with raining acidity. The finish has lean, bright mid red fruits, earth and dark spices. Nice wine for the $. While this will hold another 3-5 years, it's not going to continue to improve. So, drink em. Photos of; the Chateau, barrel room, view inside the Chateau and their shiny stainless steel fermentation tanks. — 8 years ago

Neil Shah

9.2

Not as good as the 98...but pretty darn good. — 8 years ago

Sean Nelson

9.4

Apricots and yeast. Very dry. Mostly 1999, with some 96-98. — 9 years ago

Ryan Davis

9.2

Much riper than the 98 — 10 years ago

Will Predhomme

Sommelier, Vintner The North Shore Project, Master of Wine candidate

8.9

Brooding & escalating in intensity as it opens up. '98 started almost light fruit, at the bottom it's flowers & brooding Mourvèdre — 10 years ago

Cathrine Todd

9.5

Great smokey minerality, tight at this point but more flesh on the body than 96. Other Champagne Houses considered controversial to name 98 as a vintage year due to too much ripeness. But I am a fan of this vintage and will not take as long as the 96 to reach its prime. — 11 years ago

Shana Wall

9.8

Yes, yes & more yes, ❤️ '98 Tignanello 🍷😍 — 11 years ago

Ron Siegel

9.3

Another great 98 right bank that is just entering its drinking window. — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Last time I had dark cherry was there but blackberry is showing now @ £133 a 96-98 in the making, but 93-95 now

🍇 85% Cab S & 15% Cab F

🍷 Opaque ruby

👃 Elegant savoury herb infused cedar wood, smokey fresh pine & new oak through earthy blackberry, crushed mineral rock, pencil lead, cocoa, bluebells, black tea & new leather

👄 Med silky body of spiced blackberry, liquorice, mocha, light balsamic w/ very fine smooth tannins & cherry hints

🎯 Med+ refined earthy blackberry, mocha & liquorice w/ a black tea tone — 7 years ago

Stanislav Lobanov

9.8

19/20 (98/100) Богатый и насыщенный букет ароматов: в первом носе сильная животная нота, но в развитии этот аромат почти исчезает и появляются ноты кедра, варенья из чёрной смородины, сливовый джем, кожа, табак, корица и гвоздика. Тельное с довольно высокой кислотностью и бархатистыми танинами. Великолепная концентрация вкусов и бесконечно долгое послевкусие. Шикарно! (15.03.17) — 7 years ago

Chris England

9.3

My 2nd try of this £90+ Chilean icon - superb now but 95-98 in 5-10yrs 👍

▶️ Bottle #8661

🍇 55% Cab Sauv, 29% Carmenere, 7% Cab F, 5% Merlot & 4% Syrah

🍷Opaque ruby w/ purple hue

👃 Chocolatey spicy rich blackcurrant & dark plum w/ soft oak, vanilla, wet leaves & light minerals

👄 Full body of rich silky intense black fruits beautifully balanced in oozy chocolate & med acidity

🎯 Long slight sweet & dry black fruits & cocoa linger w/ purple teeth stain 💥 — 8 years ago

Paul T HB

9.8

Parker 98 point taste off today,
Cult takes it at P&P lets see after a couple hours decant,
The nose on this has caught our attention now, not as full bodied as the cult but still delicious. Can't go wrong either way.
Maybach has taken over as it opens, winner! I think Amoenus is the top 2104 I've had, has lingering layers as it opens up, — 8 years ago

Nico J. Snyman

9.1

Classic '98, still a little juvenile, but giving back in every way it should. — 8 years ago

Merritt Santino Raül Gilé

9.3

I think this is my 4th Cheval Blanc. 73, 80-something, 98, and this one. This was my favorite. Needed to open up a bit. Was still very youthful. I'm sure you could age this for another 20+ years, but why would you. If not, why not? If not now, when? — 9 years ago

with Alison

Charlie Beatty

Buyer wineworksonline.com

9.9

Wow! Amazing fruit with great interplay of just a touch of oak and buttery creaminess ! Starter Chsrdvtonight! Amazing CB-98 — 10 years ago

with Karen, Steph and 1 other

David McNally

9.3

Hard to fault as a Sunday brunch wine - grilled meats along side... Grilled meats. '98 drinking so much better than the '99 opened the other night — 10 years ago

Ian Blackburn

10

Wine of the flight at learnaboutwine's (now wineLA) Top Wines tasting - House of Blues. Color: Grenache/brick NOSE: Amazing bouquet of tomato paste, olive tapenade, herb, stone, ((did not need to taste to love)) MOUTH: textured, refined, fresh, amazingly balanced and reminiscent of the legendary 1985 with perhaps a nudge of newer wood. Score 98 points (N2self - one of my greatest bottles this year) — 11 years ago

Gilles de Chambure

Master Sommelier & Educator

9.5

98 charmes chambertin super drouhin great selection only 3000 bts — 12 years ago

Chris England

9.7

A review of 9️⃣’s for fun 😁

The 2009 was made 9 years ago @ £39 & 19 years after the 1990 @ €90 😁 so I thought it would be fun to compare how my favourite Pomerol has evolved 😁

💵 Oh & Petrus next door to this Chateau is 90 times more expensive 🤣

🥊 So 90 vs 09

🏵 90 - 97-98 points
🏵 09 - 94-95 points

🍷 90 - Garnet opaque ruby w/ bricking
🍷 09 - Opaque ruby

⏩ scroll for colour pics on Instagram ⏩

👃 90 - Bordeaux nasal sex of soggy earth, sooty underground 🚇, char-smoked oak, old leather, damp musty cellar, mushroom, mirabelle plums, damson compote, obliterated blackcurrant, herbs, toasted fig, bitter mocha & liquorice
👃 09 - Dark jammy plum & blackcurrant through smokey oak, choc mocha, flint, pencil lead, soggy earthy leaves & wet rock minerals

👄 90 - Med body of creamy earthy smooth silk dark plum & berry bathed in ground mocha & liquorice
👄 09 - Med+ creamy smooth ripe dark plum & blackcurrant body w/ a mocha infusion & mineral tone

🎯 90 - Long mocha liquorice dark fruits mouth filling linger w/ a big happy smile 😃
🎯 09 - Long smooth ripe dark fruit, minerals & rich mocha linger - oh & still big happy smile 😀

⏰ 09 I can’t wait to revisit you in 19 years 😘

👏 @josephjanoueix @jeanphilippejanoueix 😍
— 7 years ago

Chris England

9.4

Everyone knows I’m a fan of LRA but I’ve not had the 98 for a long time!

As I just found some @ £68 I had to try & it’s lovely for the money with lots of life left 👍

🍸 Perfect in Zalto Burgundy 😎

🍷 Garnet ruby w/ brick edge

👃 Smoked dark balsamic oak in spiced black cherry w/ vanilla cocoa cream, herbs, smoke, leather, coconut & caramel

👄 Med creamy smooth body of dark cherry bathed in balsamic & vanilla cocoa w/ red berry tones

🎯 Long chocky cherry w/ touch tart balsamic thick linger — 7 years ago

Jake Hajer

9.4

98 in 17. Beautiful; plum, tea, a touch caramel. — 8 years ago

Alex Lallos

Owner No Limit Fine Wines, Private Wine Consultant

9.4

Stunning 98 right bank. These 98s from st emilion seem to be firing on all cylinders. Had this beauty with stuffed rabbit at jardiniere while celebrating my moms 70th birthday. It had loads of beautiful fruit, some rose petal / violet and just enough earth to make it really interesting. We finished the bottle in literally no time. Excellent!!!!! — 8 years ago

Kevin Ortzman

9.0

Full bodied w/ leathery tannins. Cherries w/ mild hint of cassis. Tasted along side of the '98 Araujo and '97 Dalla Valle. Insignia came in third. What a fun dinner!! — 8 years ago

with ADAM, Joe and 2 others

Martin G Rivard

9.7

A wine that I brought tonight and felt strongly about. Incredible pedigree, winemaker is from Araujo which is insane great! Beautiful 12 but I committed infanticide., should laid it down another few years but it did open up like a million bucks after a few hours. Truly opulent Napa wine which is well structured and loved by all tonight. A new rockstar on the block vs the the old rock stars that were drinking in full stride tonight. It's was awesome tonight but I can't wait for it to evolve a little and become STELLAR in the future. I highly recommend this wine. The preliminary rating is 96 to 98 and the 13 is even better if you can imagine that! — 9 years ago

with Christine, Kirk and 1 other

Lewis Chester

9.8

Chateau La Mission Haut Brion 1989 - Decanted 4.5 hours prior to drinking but with stopper affixed to the decanter. From Jay. Stopper was pulled from the decanter 30 minutes prior to pouring. This bottle was part of a case of 12 that went ex. Chateau seven years ago and has been professionally stored ever since. Inky purple in colour. Strong black fruits on the nose. Blackberries, Cherries, and blueberries all interwoven in a thick, lush, and seamless manner. Elements of wet tobacco are also present. The attack is strong but the mid palate is huge with incredible fruit levels. This a big full bodied Claret in every sense of the word yet in no way is it lacking in balance - a true multidimensional wine. To belabour the point, there is no over extraction here. From its colour all the way to the massive finish this wine makes no apologies for its masculinity and sheer presence. It's a hyper refined slugger! There will be decades of life left in well stored bottles of this wine but it's approachable now given sufficient air. Drink now to 2040 and probably beyond. 98/100.


— 10 years ago

Jon Fine

9.8

craziness. One of the best champagnes I've had in a long time. A blend of 98 and 99 but very fresh and ultra-precise. — 11 years ago

Etienne Moly

10

Vega sicilia Unico 98 — 11 years ago

with Laurent