1998 Chateau Musar

Community Tasting Notes (474) Avg Score: 91.5 points

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View mark_k's profile
  • Report Issue

  5/3/2024 - mark_k Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Cork was a mess, fill just at neck. Had low expectations.
  
  Colour- pale ruby, like old burgundy.
  
  Nose initially a bit muted. Does this really need a decant? Decided not to as I was scared of fragility. It really did develop with each glass drank slowly over 2 hours. The high proportion cinsault really showing some strawberry red fruit, more so than expected for a wine this age. Lots of tertiary, leather, almonds and leaves. Wine showed freshness and no signs of fading. I have two more bottles which look in better condition than this one and I'll be in no rush to drink those.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View PSPatrick's profile
  • Report Issue

  4/24/2024 - PSPatrick wrote: 93 Points

  Bottle in perfect condition, filled into the neck, cork intact. I poured the wine into a small decanter and followed its development for about four hours. Medium garnet colour, light orange towards the rim, some sediment. The wine was tight upon opening, but opened up with aeration and showed best after about 90 minutes in the small decanter: Red fruit, red cherry, mixed berries, blood, gamy notes, spices, tobacco, balsamic notes, light tea, and some VA, with fresh acidity, round, well-integrated tannin, and very good length. Medium-bodied, smooth, balanced, and harmonious, with good energy and good concentration. Fresher, tighter, more structured than the sweet, broad inviting 2000. After two hours, the wine started to develop a more mature, even smoother, very integrated profile. A glass I kept for day two was consistent with my last glass on day one. Drink or hold.

  4 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View cvst's profile
  • Report Issue

  4/20/2024 - cvst Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Another excellent bottle. Pulled cork in one piece with an ah-so. Left in decanter for 8 hours. Well, this was the plan. Started drinking after 7 hours. It then showed very good, mature notes with present acidity and dried fruit profile, cranberry, raisins, dried herbs, figs, stoney minerals. Then, after another hour the wine gained more depth and profoundness and came well together. So impressive! 8 hours at least, it is for me.

  1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View AlphaMikeFoxtrot's profile
  • Report Issue

  4/18/2024 - AlphaMikeFoxtrot Likes this wine: 93 Points

  Totally agree with everyone who believes this is "beautifully declining" at its current age. The flavors are GREAT at the moment (especially the palate).
  
  Red plums, roasted wild game, olive tapanade and a hint of mustiness on the nose. Medium + intensity of aromas. Smells quite nice; though a tad old (which it is!). The palate is much more lively, showing flavors of ripe black cherries, ripe red plums, balsamic, orange peel, green tobacco and smokey bacon. Absolute explosion of flavors - with a high intensity thereof. Finishes with blood and iron, and lasts around 45 seconds.
  
  Structurally, it feels pretty old. Medium body with medium acid and low, almost no tannin. Guessing this peaked about 4 years ago - where it would probably rate a 95 or 96. Drink now and enjoy the beautiful flavors if you happen to have any.

  3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

• Options

  • Post a Comment
  • View wdoquinn's profile
  • Report Issue

  3/31/2024 - wdoquinn Likes this wine: 97 Points

  Brick red with transparent rim. Out of the bottle this wine sang with aged notes of balsamic, Forest floor, cedar, black cherry cola. Nice acid and length. Got a little flat with time but drinking really well right now. Crusted rack of lamb paired perfectly Easter 2024

  5 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Comment

View all 474 Community Tasting Notes

Professional reviews have copyrights and you can view them here for your personal use only as private content. To view pro reviews you must either subscribe to a pre-integrated publication or manually enter reviews below. Learn more.