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Search Flickinger Wine Inventory
Inventory updated: Fri, Nov 28, 2025 09:02 AM cst
Your search criteria:
Regions: Bordeaux Red
Vintages: Between 1998 and 1998
| Producer |
Vint. |
Wine |
Price |
Qty |
Order |
| | Bordeaux Red |
| Ch. Ausone |
1998 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML) 
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$7,904.98 |
2 |
|
| |
VM 95+ (8/2002): aturated deep ruby, much darker and brighter than the other vintages tasted. Sappy, fresh aromas of boysenberry, cassis, minerals, bitter chocolate and espresso, with complicating notes of underbrush and earth. Extremely pure and penetrating, with fruit of steel and a powerful mineral underpinning. Finishes with strong, firm tannins and great persistence. Essence of Ausone, without the funkiness shown by so many past vintages of this wine. Offers exciting potential. Drink 2008 to 2030.
WA 94 (4/2001): A dense opaque purple color offers up restrained, but pure aromas of liquid minerals, blackberries, black raspberries, and flowers. Medium to full-bodied, with high tannin but a long, super-pure, symmetrical mouth-feel, this dazzling, extremely complex Ausone requires 6-10 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2050.
WS 94 (1/2001): Plenty of mineral and berry character with hints of smoke. Full-bodied, with big, chewy tannins and a long, long finish. Massive Ausone. One of the best in years. Best after 2008. 2,000 cases made. |
|
| Ch. Cheval-Blanc |
1998 |
St. Emilion (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$13,724.99 |
1 |
|
| |
JS 100 (9/2013): This structured and powerful red is finally coming out its sleep. It shows intense aromas of dried fruits, mushrooms, forest floor and berries. It's full-bodied, very dense and velvety, and has an Outstanding, ripe and richly fruity finish. A wine that harkens back to the legendary 1947 Cheval-Blanc. Drink or hold.
WS 98 (7/2008): Aromas of blueberry, sweet tobacco, leather and pipe tobacco turning to raisins and Christmas cake. What a wine. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a very well-integrated palate. Dark color. A big and powerful wine still. Blockbuster. Massive. Just a baby. Best after 2013. 8,330 cases made.
WA 96+ (12/2002): I seriously underestimated this wine, as I have often tended to do with Cheval Blanc. A potentially immortal example that has gained significant weight since it has been bottled, this blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot has a saturated purple color and a glorious nose of menthol, plums, mulberries, new saddle leather, cocoa, and vanilla. Remarkably fuller-bodied than I ever remembered it young, with an amazingly seamless texture and tremendous concentration and extract, this full-bodied yet gorgeously pure and elegant wine is impeccably balanced and certainly one of the all-time great Cheval Blancs. If it continues to improve as much as it has over the last three years since bottling, this wine will certainly rival the 2000, 1990, and 1982. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2030.
NM 95+ (7/2016): On this occasion, the 1998 Château Cheval Blanc could not match the stellar performance of the 1990, though it is still a great wine. It has a very pure, svelte bouquet with black cherries, camphor, creme de cassis and sage aromas. Giving it ten minutes to open in the glass, there is an attractive mint note that becomes ever more pronounced. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent tannins cloaked in glossy red cherry and strawberry fruit. There is great backbone and structure to this Cheval Blanc with a very long finish that fans out gloriously. I'd be inclined to give it two, three, maybe even four more years in bottle before it reaches its peak.
VM 94+ (10/2011): (a blend of 56% merlot and 44% cabernet franc; 13% alcohol; 32 h/h): Bright ruby. Ripe, intensely pure black cherry, blackcurrant, floral and milk chocolate aromas. Enters silky and suave, with rich red cherry and blackcurrant flavors that give the middle palate a fruit cocktail quality. Almost more Pomerol than Saint-Emilion here, with a rich, fleshy mouth feel and highly polished tannins. Finishes very long and suave, with a pretty smoky, floral note. I also had the opportunity to taste the pure bottlings of the 1998 Cheval's merlot and cabernet franc, and the cabernet franc was absolutely mesmerizing; the best of these lots went into the Cheval Blanc, and the wine is noticeably better than the Petit Cheval of the same year. That said, given the truly amazing quality of the cabernet franc this vintage, I am utterly convinced that having included more of it in Cheval Blanc's final blend would have turned this into one of the estate's five or six best wines ever. The 1998 vintage recorded temperatures close to the yearly averages throughout the growth cycle, and though not particularly hot, it was one of the drier years on record; the harvest took place from September 28 through October 6. Ian d'Agata. |
|
| Ch. Clinet |
1998 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$1,277.99 |
2 |
|
| |
WS 91 (1/2001): Clearly Outstanding. Lots of tobacco, cherry and berry aromas. Full-bodied, with big, velvety tannins and a long finish. Seductive. Best after 2007. 3,300 cases made.
WA 90 (4/2001): I had high hopes for this wine prior to bottling, but Clinet often goes through a reduced, awkward stage following bottling. The 1998 reveals a dense, thick-looking purple color, as well as a closed bouquet. With coaxing, notes of damp earth, spicy new oak, truffles, blackberry and plum fruit emerge. Dense, with jagged tannin, considerable power, and a roasted, chocolatey character, this wine has not yet meshed together. I had hoped it would be less disjointed, but I still feel there is a strong likelihood that it will deserve an Outstanding score. However, patience will be required. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2020. |
|
| Ch. La Clusiere |
1998 |
St. Emilion Bin-Soiled Label |
$191.25 |
3 |
|
| |
| WA 90 (4/2001): The 1998 possesses an opaque purple color as well as a firm, but promising bouquet of black fruits, crushed stones, and smoky new oak. There is plenty of depth and purity, as well as a well-delineated style in this backward, tannic, muscular effort. While it is the finest La Clusiere yet produced, it requires 4-5 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020. Readers can expect this wine to continue to improve now that new proprietor, Gerard Perse, is in charge. No expense is being spared in the pursuit of quality. |
|
| Ch. Conseillante |
1998 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,860.97 |
1 |
|
| |
NM 93+ (12/2010): Tasted at the La Conseillante vertical at Chez Bruce. The first bottle is oxidized, the second better with an intense bouquet with hints of mint, coca and mocha, showing more Cabernet Franc character than recent bottles, with impressive delineation. The palate is medium-bodied, quite fresh and vibrant with grainy tannins, good acidity and persistency with a meaty, savoury, Cabernet Franc driven finish. Very fine and it improves with time, with an edgy citrus finish and delicious dark chocolate/espresso decorating the aftertaste. I have had better bottles of the '98, but this is still a lovely Pomerol that should enter its plateau in the next couple of years.
WS 91 (7/2009): Starts off slightly herbal, but then turns to flowers, leaves and dark fruits. Decadent, turning to sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with beautiful silky tannins and a meaty, berry and spicy aftertaste that evolves to chocolate and coffee. Complex and refined. No reason to wait.
WA 90 (4/2001): An evolved dark plum/garnet color is followed by captivating, sexy, raspberry, soy, Asian spice, kirsch liqueur, and toasty vanillin aromas. While not a blockbuster, this opulently-textured, medium-bodied effort is a model of elegance, harmony, finesse, and complexity. This wine's low acidity as well as wonderfully ripe fruit invite immediate consumption; it should last for 12-15 years. |
|
| Ch. Ducru-Beaucaillou |
1998 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,515.97 |
1 |
|
| |
NM 94 (7/2010): Served at the Ducru offline in London, this is a wonderful 1998 Saint Julien. Like the 1999, it begins quite taciturn on the nose but opens up with a little patience. Darker fruit than the 1999, briary, cedar, cigar box, stronger sous-bois aromas with a hint of iodine, swelling with aeration. The palate is medium-bodied with succulent red-berried fruit that actually remind me of the 1995. There is a citrus thread running through this wine, very focused and demonstrating supreme elegance on the finish, those supple tannins ‘tickling’ the palate with their charms. Probably one of the most elegant Ducru Beaucaillou wines in recent years. Drink now-2025.
WA 91 (4/2001): A supremely elegant, dense purple-colored effort, the 1998 reveals aromas of cassis, black raspberries, minerals, and currants. Precise, well-delineated, and medium to full-bodied, with magnificent purity and understated elegance, this noble, restrained wine reveals a tannic finish, suggesting 4-5 more years of cellaring is warranted. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2025.
VM 89 (3/2014): (56% cabernet sauvignon, 40% merlot and 4% petit verdot; 13% alcohol): Bright ruby-red with an amber rim. Captivating aromas of red cherry, minerals and flowers. Very refined flavors of red- and blackcurrant, minerals and violet. Finishes long and clean, with a zingy minerality, polished tannins and building sweetness. Unfortunately, I have also had a poor bottle of this wine recently (showing animal notes and astringent drying tannins), so it may well be that this wine should be consumed fairly soon. I remember Philippe Dhalluin telling me many years ago that this wine reminded him of the 1988 made at Branaire-Ducru (which he always liked), but that he found that the '98 had a suaver character; I'm not so sure. Only 50% of the crop went into the grand vin, as in 1999 and 1997; prior to these vintages, almost two-thirds of the wine made at Branaire-Ducru went into the estate's flagship bottling. Ian d'Agata.
WS 88 (7/2009): Mineral, floral and blackberry aromas. Medium-bodied, with a good core of fruit and light mint and blackberry character. Elegant and friendly. |
|
| Ch. L' Eglise Clinet |
1998 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$3,046.98 |
2 |
|
| |
WS 96 (10/2001): Truly gorgeous. Rich and thick yet refined and precise. Crushed raspberry and berry character rises from the glass. Full-bodied, with loads of fruit, fine tannins and an extremely long finish. Best after 2010. 1,085 cases made.
VM 94+ (6/2001): Saturated dark ruby. Slightly reduced aromas of sappy berries, minerals and orange peel. Extremely dense in the mouth, with compellingly sweet, powerful flavors of raspberry, minerals and espresso. A rare combination of great breadth and verve. Still a bit withdrawn today from the bottling. But this extract-rich wine should be spectacular in seven or eight years and be very long-lived.
WA 94 (4/2001): This wine has been so impressive over the last decade that it can now be said to rival Petrus. This effort should turn out to be one of the longest-lived Pomerols of the vintage. It is backward, and has closed down since bottling, but make no mistake about it ... this is a dazzling, serious vin de garde. An opaque purple color is followed by a restrained but promising bouquet of sweet black raspberries intermixed with vanillin, caramel, and minerals. The wine is full-bodied, powerfully tannic, beautifully textured, and crammed with extract (an assortment of black fruits). While it is bursting at the seams, purchasers will need to wait a minimum of 7-8 years. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035. |
|
| Ch. L' Evangile |
1998 |
Pomerol (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,505.98 |
1 |
|
| |
WS 97 (12/2008): Complex aromas of blackberry, fresh mushrooms, tobacco and wet earth. Full-bodied, soft and luxurious texture to this ripe and opulent wine. Long and decadent too. Just coming around now. Give it more time. L'Evangile at its finest. Best after 2011.
NM 95 (3/2008): A deep ruby/garnet colour. The Cabernet component is more pronounced here than it was two years ago: blackberry, graphite, sous-bois, cedar and a touch of damp moss. With time in glass it develops a touch of oyster shell. The palate is full-bodied, real density to it married with superb acidity but like L’Eglise-Clinet it is ferociously backward and demanding patience, years of the stuff. It does not quite have the tension or symmetry of the L’Eglise-Clinet whilst I would prefer more finesse towards the finish. But undoubtedly this needs another decade for it to mellow out, the finish dry and masculine, not dissimilar to a Chateau Latour.
VM 93 (8/2002): Full medium ruby. Fabulous nose combines black raspberry, sweet oak, bitter chocolate, truffle and mint, all lifted by a cool, slightly medicinal black cherry note of cabernet franc. Penetrating, pure, youthfully bound-up black fruit and licorice flavors. Densely packed and extremely backward. Finishes with very firm, oak-powered tannins. A superb, powerfully structured vintage for this wine, to drink between 2010 and 2025.
WA 92 (4/2001): A blend of 80% Merlot and 20% Cabernet Franc aged in 45% new oak, this terrific l'Evangile is stuffed with concentrated blackberry and raspberry fruit. There is also an acacia-like floral character that gives the wine even more complexity. Notes of toffee, licorice, and truffles add to the aromatic fireworks. The wine is full-bodied, with superb purity as well as moderate tannin in the finish. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2020+. |
|
| Les Forts de Latour |
1998 |
Pauillac |
$200 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 88 (4/2001): Latour's second wine exhibits a dark ruby/purple color as well as a nose of black fruits, ketchup, earth, and minerals. Moderately tannic and closed, it is reminiscent of its bigger brother. Give it 4-5 years of cellaring and enjoy it over the next two decades. |
|
|
1998 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,309.98 |
1 |
|
| |
| WA 88 (4/2001): Latour's second wine exhibits a dark ruby/purple color as well as a nose of black fruits, ketchup, earth, and minerals. Moderately tannic and closed, it is reminiscent of its bigger brother. Give it 4-5 years of cellaring and enjoy it over the next two decades. |
|
| Ch. Haut-Brion |
1998 |
Pessac Leognan (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$8,354.98 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 99 (5/2018): Still incredibly youthful and sporting a lot of fruit, the deep garnet-brick colored 1998 Haut-Brion sashays out of the glass with flamboyant red and black fruits, followed by a train of cassis, blueberry pie and chocolate box notions plus accents of iron ore, dried lavender and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully rich and decadently seductive in its generosity of fruit and velvety texture, offering seamless freshness and finishing with epic length and compelling minerality. Oh so delicious right now, with careful cellaring it should continue to excite through 2045 and beyond.
WS 97 (12/2008): Dark color, with decadent aromas of truffles, meat, ripe berries and tobacco. Turns to sweet, crushed berries. Full-bodied, with very polished tannins and a berry and mineral aftertaste. The serious tannin structure is still hiding behind the fruit of the wine. Tightly wound and beautiful. Solid as a rock. A classic wine.
VM 96 (5/2018): The 1998 Haut Brion has long been a favourite vintage of mine and consumed with pleasure several times. Now at 20-years of age I feel it is one step ahead of the 1998 La Mission: there is great fruit intensity with almost precocious blackberry, raspberry coulis, pastilles, tobacco and hints of olive. It has exquisite delineation and focus. The palate is medium-bodied with fuller in the mouth than the La Mission: deeper fruit (blackberry, mulberry and a touch of strawberry) intermingling with sage, cedar and a touch of hung game. It is not quite as precocious or as glossy on the finish as I remember previous bottles, but it is certainly turning into one of the finest wines of this vintage. Tasted at the château. Neal Martin.
JS 96 (6/2016): The Haut-Brion showed super decadent character with foie gras, plums and tobacco. It was full body, round and beautifully textured. It lasted for minutes after tasting. |
|
| Ch. Lafite Rothschild |
1998 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$8,058.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 96 (5/2018): A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, the 1998 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet with a hint of brick and gorgeous notions of sandalwood, crème de cassis, smoked meats, black pepper and garrigue with touches of chargrill, dried herbs and mincemeat pie. Medium-bodied, soft and plush on the palate, it has tons of mouth-filling savory and plum preserves flavors and a very long, savory finish. Delicious now, it should keep for 15-20 more years.
VM 96 (7/2018): The 1998 Lafite-Rothschild is served from double magnum directly from the château reserves, in fact with the man who made it sitting opposite me – Charles Chevalier. I must admit to being quite amazed how well this shows at 20-years of age, trouncing all the other First Growths except Haut-Brion. Lucid in colour, it has a vivid bouquet of pure blackberry, blueberry, vanilla and graphite, perhaps just a little uncharacteristically showy in style, but beautifully defined and intense. The palate is perfectly balanced with layers of ripe black fruit, perfectly pitched acidity and a silky smooth texture that renders this utterly seductive. It is almost too good for me to recommend cellaring longer. Whatever...it is a sublime Lafite-Rothschild that on this showing, may well challenge the supremacy of the 1996. Tasted at the Academie du Vin dinner in Bordeaux. Neal Martin.
WS 95 (12/2008): Amazing aromas of crushed blackberries, toasted oak and currant, spices. Really a great nose. Full-bodied, with round and velvety tannins and a long, long finish. It lasts for minutes on the palate. Superb. Best wine of the Medoc, without a doubt.--'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2011. 21,665 cases made. |
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|
1998 |
Pauillac (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,035.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 96 (5/2018): A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, the 1998 Lafite Rothschild is deep garnet with a hint of brick and gorgeous notions of sandalwood, crème de cassis, smoked meats, black pepper and garrigue with touches of chargrill, dried herbs and mincemeat pie. Medium-bodied, soft and plush on the palate, it has tons of mouth-filling savory and plum preserves flavors and a very long, savory finish. Delicious now, it should keep for 15-20 more years.
VM 96 (7/2018): The 1998 Lafite-Rothschild is served from double magnum directly from the château reserves, in fact with the man who made it sitting opposite me – Charles Chevalier. I must admit to being quite amazed how well this shows at 20-years of age, trouncing all the other First Growths except Haut-Brion. Lucid in colour, it has a vivid bouquet of pure blackberry, blueberry, vanilla and graphite, perhaps just a little uncharacteristically showy in style, but beautifully defined and intense. The palate is perfectly balanced with layers of ripe black fruit, perfectly pitched acidity and a silky smooth texture that renders this utterly seductive. It is almost too good for me to recommend cellaring longer. Whatever...it is a sublime Lafite-Rothschild that on this showing, may well challenge the supremacy of the 1996. Tasted at the Academie du Vin dinner in Bordeaux. Neal Martin.
WS 95 (12/2008): Amazing aromas of crushed blackberries, toasted oak and currant, spices. Really a great nose. Full-bodied, with round and velvety tannins and a long, long finish. It lasts for minutes on the palate. Superb. Best wine of the Medoc, without a doubt.--'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2011. 21,665 cases made. |
|
| Ch. Lafleur |
1998 |
Pomerol (6x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$4,604.98 |
4 |
|
| |
|
| Ch. Latour |
1998 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$6,404.97 |
1 |
|
| |
NM 93 (3/2008): A deep garnet core with a deep crimson rim. I was never convinced about this wine when I tasted it at en primeur and contrasted against its contemporaries in this horizontal, its deficiencies are all too visible. Moderate intensity on the nose, open and expressive with notes of black fruits, wild hedgerow, pencil lead, dried leaves, roasted herbs, perhaps lacking the freshness and vigour of say Haut Brion 1998. The palate is medium-bodied, very harmonious and surprisingly fleshy for Latour, with rounded supple tannins, a certain lushness that you infrequently find here, a touch of spice on the finish. But it lacks the tautness, the tension, the depth and grip of a truly great Latour and against Haut Brion, it shows like the bantamweight of First Growths, a bantamweight Latour? Approach with caution in 2-3 years.
VM 91+ (6/2001): Red-ruby. Deep aromas of cassis, licorice and lead pencil. Deeper than Les Forts but currently rather mute in the middle. Strongly minerally. Offers classic Latour structure and spine. Finishes with sneaky, subtle persistence. Stephen Tanzer.
WS 90 (12/2009): Plenty of raspberry, dark chocolate and mint on the nose. Full-bodied, with licorice and sweet tobacco character and a cedar undertone. Outstanding. Pop the cork.—'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now. 19,165 cases made.
WA 90 (4/2001): Not a blockbuster, the 1998 possesses a dark garnet/purple color in addition to a complex bouquet of underbrush, cedar, walnuts, and licorice-tinged black currants. Although medium to full-bodied and moderately tannic, it lacks the expansiveness in the mid-palate necessary to be truly great. Moreover, the tannin is slightly aggressive, although that is hardly unusual in such a young Latour. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2030. |
|
| Ch. Leoville Las Cases |
1998 |
St. Julien (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$2,865.99 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 93 (4/2001): The 1998 has turned out to be one of the vintage's superb Medocs. It boasts an opaque black/purple color as well as a classic Leoville Las Cases display of lead pencil, gorgeously pure black raspberries and cherries, smoke, and graphite. A broad yet focused entry on the palate reveals firm tannin, medium to full body, superb concentration and purity, as well as a totally symmetrical mouthfeel. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025.
VM 92+ (6/2001): Medium ruby. Spicy, highly aromatic nose combines currant, lead pencil, licorice, minerals and roasted nuts. Dense, spicy and penetrating, with lovely clarity of fruit and considerable power. Quite suave and stylish. Finishes very long, with firm tannins that are quite fine for the year. "We'll prefer the '99 for the first ten years, but afterwards this '98 may be better," notes Jean-Hubert Delon. |
|
| Ch. Margaux |
1998 |
Margaux (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$6,164.97 |
1 |
|
| |
VM 92+ (6/2001): Medium ruby. Cool, floral aromas of red berries, violet, cocoa powder, graphite and spicy oak, along with a whiff of smoked meat. Juicy, sharply delineated and austere; a classic, adamantly dry claret with superb intensity and grip. This is beginning to close up, unlike the '99. But really expands on the very long, perfumed finish. Tannins are dusty but even. Stephen Tanzer.
WA 91 (4/2001): The 1998 Margaux's color is a dense ruby/purple. The wine is tannic and austere, but elegant, with notes of asphalt, blackberries, acacia flowers, and sweet, toasty oak. Subtle, rich, nicely-textured, and medium-bodied, it is built for the long haul. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2030.
WS 91 (12/2013): Shows a lightly taut feel, with plum skin and cherry pit notes melded into the core of damson plum, blackberry and mulled cherry fruit. Shows the estate's telltale black tea and lilac hints through the finish, with lovely grace and charm that wins out over the sinewy structure. Drink now through 2020. |
|
| Ch. La Mission Haut Brion |
1998 |
Pessac Leognan (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$5,204.97 |
1 |
|
| |
WA 98 (8/2012): A candidate for the wine of the vintage from this somewhat forgotten year, consumers should be seeking out wines from the Right Bank and Graves as 1998 was a great vintage in those appellations. La Mission’s 1998 exhibits a healthy, opaque blue/purple color with no lightening at the edge. Thirty minutes of aeration brings forth a sensational bouquet of chocolate, cedar, truffles, graphite, blackberries, cassis and incense. La Mission’s so-called scorched earth/charcoal/hot rocks characteristic has not yet appeared. Full-bodied with superb purity, a multilayered texture, sweet tannin, good acidity and a fabulously long finish, this great, young La Mission-Haut-Brion’s finest days are yet to come. Anticipated maturity: 2018-2040.
JS 98 (6/2016): The La Mission Haut-Brion was even better. It showed so much iodine, chili, and currants with a distinct warm stone character in the nose. It was full body with ultra-velvety tannins and a fabulous finish. Plenty of licorice also came out of the glass. It's a fabulous wine now.
NM 97 (11/2013): Tasted at Christies' Boardroom dinner from an ex-chateau bottle. This must constitute as one of the wines of the vintage, an all-conquering La Mission Haut Brion with a bright future ahead. The nose is utterly sublime with blackberry, black olive and emerging forest floors scents intermingling with a touch of the old Cohiba cigar. The palate is full-bodied with superb concentration and a very fine line of acidity. It is not as exotic as it was four or five years ago, but there remains wonderful tension right to the very last. This is just beginning to move into a more elegant adolescence. Drink now-2040.
WS 96 (7/2009): Very dark ruby color still. The nose is deep and dense, with intense aromas of licorice, blackberry, warm stones and a hint of sweet tobacco. Full-bodied, with flavors of berries, iodine and chocolate. The tannin structure builds on the palate. Still needs to come together. A baby.—'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2012.
MB [***[*]] (10/2001): Merlot 65%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35%. Youthful; fragrant, good fruit and depth, became more tarry in the glass; substantial, full of fruit, oak, good length, dry finish. Drink 2010-2025.
VM 92 (6/2001): Good red-ruby. Superripe, expressive nose of plum, redcurrant, roasted stones and spices. Big, rich, plummy and deep; boasts compelling mouthfilling sweetness. Plenty of spine beneath the flesh. Finishes very long and gripping, with sweet tannins for the year. Stephen Tanzer. |
|
| Ch. Mouton-Rothschild |
1998 |
Pauillac (12x750ML)
ETA 90-120 Days; No cancellations or returns. This item may be subject to tariffs. |
$6,224.97 |
2 |
|
| |
WA 96 (4/2001): Like many of its peers, the 1998 has filled out spectacularly. Now in the bottle, this opaque black/purple-colored offering has increased in stature, richness, and size. A blend of 86% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Merlot, and 2% Cabernet Franc (57% of the production was utilized), it is an extremely powerful, super-concentrated wine offering notes of roasted espresso, creme de cassis, smoke, new saddle leather, graphite, and licorice. It is massive, with awesome concentration, mouth-searing tannin levels, and a saturated flavor profile that grips the mouth with considerable intensity. This is a 50-year Mouton, but patience will be required as it will not be close to drinkability for at least a decade. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2050.
VM 93+ (8/2011): (86% cabernet sauvignon, 12% merlot and 2% cabernet franc; pH 3.82; IPT 76; 12.3% alcohol; a 57% selection): Very deep saturated ruby. Archetypical cabernet sauvignon-dominated nose offers fresh blackcurrant, lead pencil and flowers complicated by strong spice notes. Bright and juicy on entry, with very pure flavors of dark berries, underbrush and dried herbs, then slightly austere and linear in the middle palate. Finishes with a lingering saline nuance and very good length. A very refined and impeccably balanced Mouton, but I would have liked a little bit more concentration and opulence for an even higher score. This classic Mouton possesses relatively high acidity and a solid tannic structure; it offers early accessibility but should age effortlessly for another 15 or 20 years. In 1998, after a couple years of experimentation, Mouton began to de-leaf in a systematic fashion on both sides of the vine rows. Another vintage with a large crop, 1998 featured an unsettled September with rain falling during the cabernet sauvignon harvest (one of the reasons why 1998 is widely considered a Right Bank year.) Ian d'Agata.
NM 92 (11/2010): Tasted at the Claret Club Mouton-Rothschild dinner. The 1998 Mouton has a very deep garnet hue. The nose has good intensity and fine definition with blackberry, cassis, graphite and a touch of sous-bois. The palate is tight at first..."a dense ball of Pauillac stubbornness" are the exact words that I wrote. But it unwinds nicely: graphite and cedar interlacing the black fruit, almost brutal towards the finish that needs more persistency. This will been another 4-5 years in bottle.
WS 91 (12/2009): Blackberry and violets on the nose, with hints of roses. Sweet tobacco too. Full-bodied, with a solid core of fruit and round tannins. A little tight and reserved now. Give it time.—'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective. Best after 2011. 22,915 cases made.
JS 91 (11/2015): This is spicy and peppery with dried fruits and currants. It's full and velvety on the palate, showing pretty berries and toasted coffee beans. Long, long finish. |
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