Eleven 1998 St Emilions and a Lone Pomerol. Maybe some Yquem too

All wines were double decanted between 1-3 hours, depending on their placement in the lineup. Notes are from memory.

The concept of the dinner stemmed around recent successes with 98 Bordeaux Merlot, leading me to believe that perhaps many of these St. Emillion 98s would be reaching a nice plateau where they shed off mots of their primary glycerin coated elements and began to develop trademark secondary aromatics and structural changes. For the most part, the wines still showed primary, requiring 3-5+ years in bottle, and several raised concerns about their abillity to age gracefully given their structuring. While they undoubtedly seemed to all have legs to run for quite some time, several of the wines, to my pallate, weren't built for endurance. This sentiment echoed a recent trepidation I felt when drinking 2000 Pavie, where the structure of the tannins seems a bit too rounded to properly butress the type of development that the primacy of the fruit seemed to require (discussed more in detail in the 98 Pavie note).

Also interstingly, the wines as a collective lacked a commonality of style, structure and heritage. It was interesting to note this, as St Emilion has such a wider diversity of micro-terroirs than the left bank, where the roaming vineyards all appear to be the same (but we know it is the soil that counts, yes?). St Emillion's flowing slopes tend to offer more unique expression in closer patches and perhap exact a greater portion of decision making in the winemakers hand.

With that caveat in mind, almost all of the wines showed textbook concentration in fruit hailing from such a banner year for Merlot and Cab Franc. There was lovely depth and purity to the fruit. Several showed a very modern/international approach to winemaking (notably the Rol, Monbo, Pavie and CLG), which turns out a very polished but sometimes less interesting product. From this, I feel concerned that the abilities of these style wines to hone a focus or precision of fruit which I crave in aged Bordeaux, may be compromised. Their ability to portray purity and terroir driven flavors and aromas may have been abandonned. All in all, the tasting reinforces how these wines can indeed appeal to many, in essence, bridging the gap between new world lust for opulence and concentration with old world aromatics and discipline. I continue to trend towards the latter, prefering my Bordeaux a bit more strict. Maybe I should start drinking Burgundy, too?

• NV Pierre Péters Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs Cuvée de Réserve 91 Points

  France, Champagne, Champagne Grand Cru

  A pleasant albeit somewhat curt Champagne. Very round and inviting, but lacks aromatic depth and complexity. It hasn't attained the yeast driven complexity and depth of nose which I tend to look for in this style of champagne. Nevertheless, it acted as a perfect vessel for calibrating and clearing one's pallate.

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• 2002 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Combettes 93 Points

  France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru

  Classic Girardin and another strong showing for 2002 White Burgundy. The wine leans towards the more modern as Girardin usually uses a healthy dose of new oak in his Puligny-Montrachet bottlings. However, the wine has the structure and stuffing to balance the treatment and it renders a very opulent and pleasant wine. Notes of buttery challah and round lemony peach with flowers. The taste has a permanence that I can still remember. The fruit is hardly piercing or overtly acid driven; this wine is very approachable and inviting. It will have its stylistic naysayers, just as will Smith Haut Lafite Blancs and Cali Chards like Kistler and Ramey. I appreicate its balance and flexibility.

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• 1975 Château Gloria 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Médoc, St. Julien

  I had intended to bring this wine as a mystery surprise, as Dave has a particular affinity for Gloria. I forgot that this was also his birthyear! While it is hardly a blockbuster, it is classic old school Brittish "sex under the sheets" claret with its strict and austere nose, offering hints of saddle and sous bois but opening a delicate cherry tapenade with some coaxing. The wine is still very much alive, professing nice balance and a rounded mouth with fully resolved tannins. It was popped and poured but I think it could have gained from an Audouze. Acquired via auction, but a good fill, color and cork condition. I'd recommend out of magnum for the best experience.

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• 1998 Château Bellisle Mondotte 89 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  We decided to bring in a lower growth/price point wine to help calibrate our value recognition of the horizontal. The wine held its own for its value but was largely overmatched throughout the night. The nose was more diffuse, lacking concentration and depth that the better classifications across the board had. While it was not fully mature, it had moved further along the curve than its other compatriots, showing more resolved on the mouth with less of a persistent finish. A quality value for 12 years of bottle age and readily found around 30 dollars.

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• 1998 Château L'Hermitage 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Probably the most compact of all of the St Emillions we drank. The wine had noticeable structure and balanced harmony that several of the more vaunted wines lacked. It felt more knit together. The red and blackberry driven fruit was less opulent or powerful than several of the others, but its components were more harmonious than most. This is a wine that will age gracefully with little fear of falling apart. The most natural wine of the evening, prehaps.

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• 1998 Château Rol Valentin 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  A very plush, modern, opulent wine; in some ways in direct contrast to the Hermitage. It teeters on the spoofilated line, straddling more dangerously than most, while retaining the pitch of Bordeaux fruit. A very showy wine with layers of dark plum on the pallate. The nose soars with mocha driven espresso and rich flowers. The finish is more resolved than the Hermitage. This wine is probably in an optimum dirnking window. Several thought it was contending for WOTN.

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• 1998 Château Monbousquet 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Typical Monbousquet, showing very resolved and modern in style and composition. Less boisterous than the Rol, but having more structure and depth. The wine opened a bit reticent but allowed great notes of dark chocolate and plum. This is a notch or two below the more fresh and vibrant 2000 Monbosquet, but it is no slouch itself. It represents good value if you enjoy this style. I think it is already begining to develop some secondary nuance. In 2-3 years it could be singing.

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• 1998 Château Magdelaine Flawed

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  The most enigmatic wine of the tasting. It doesn't represent any right bank typiticy, dare I say, any Bordeaux typicity. It has a nose of confectionary and candied fruit, with bright punchy red fruit, akin to a Crozes-Hermitage filled with Granache and Syrah. It is light on its feet and vibrantly bright with refreshing acidity. Nobody could have pegged this as 98 Right Bank blind. Definitely tasted of Granache. Any thoughts? Potentially flawed bottle.

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• 1998 Château Clos St. Martin 87 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Somewhat of a dissapointment, given the estate's superstar/rockstar/sexstar whatever you want to call it, status. The wine was diffuse on the nose, with vegetal aspargus qualities. I had initially thought that it would flesh out with more air; it lent itself that type of feeling. For our edification, Dave held onto his glass for another 45 minutes and the wine continued to diminuate, showing more muted and less full. Perhaps they picked early or maybe held on to late and felt the brunt of the rains that largely passed most of the growers who picked their Merlot in 98. This wine does not live up to its price tag or status.

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• 1998 Château Pavie 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Another less than stellar showing for the Pavie. Nobody really thought it was worth 99 points (recent HG scoring) while some wished that the wine was able to see more air than it had. Somewhat reticent out of the gates, it shows soft notes of mocha with ripe (but not stewed) plum and blackberry briar. The pallate is hallmark Pavie with superlative balance but lacks the structure and firmness of tannins one would hope for in a more primary wine. As of recent experience, I'd say the 2001 Pavie drinks the most accessibly/enjoyably, with better evolution in terms of its secondary black truffle driven aromatics, while still holding a primacy and depth of concentration in the fruit. The 2005 shows the most explosive, with depth and firmness of tannin and richness in red and black fruit, while the 2000 was the most shy and humble of its endowment. The 98 was a restrained more subtle 2000, that may develop into something more substantial but to my palate is less appealing than the 2001. I'd hold onto these for 3-5 years hoping for better evolution.

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• 1998 Château Pavie Decesse 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Initially the most closed and restrained wine, but opened up into a wonderful depth on the nose with hints of ash driven blackberry. The wine had nice depth on the pallate and finish. Definitely underrated and coming together nicely. A reasonable alternative to its more expensive brother.

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• 1998 Château Pavie Macquin 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Macquin, to my pallate, continues to assert itself as a very mercurial St Emilion. It seems to demand great weather to really express itself, having a note of vegetal green when the season isn't so sublime. This wine was perhaps the most unique of the evening, exhibiting what Dr. Levy presciently predicted as barbeque sauce. Very intriguing indeed, the charm of the wine was in full force. The question was KC Masterpiece or Sweet Southern.

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• 1998 Château Valandraud 95 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  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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• 1998 Château Canon-la-Gaffelière 93 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, St. Émilion Grand Cru

  Probably the best value of the evening. This wine is extremely modern in substance but has wonderful rich depth on the nose and pallate. It was left with the misfortune of having been drunk next to the Valandraud. This wine is very similar in style to the Rol Valentin but less over the top. A very good wine, in my people's top 3. Again, stylistically polarizing.

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• 1998 Château Le Bon Pasteur 92 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Libournais, Pomerol

  Served blind, courtesy of Dr. L. At first, there was a lot of talk as to which bank the wine came from. It lacked the more overt oak treatment of many of the St Emillions tonight and had a brightness of red driven fruit to it. Still unevolved, it drank young and primary, albeit it was hardly an opaque wine. I had thought it may have been a 1996. It turned out to be 1998 Bon Pasteur, the lone Pomerol of the night. The wine clearly has longevity and I was impressed by its atypical structure, a beneficial factor in my book. Hold 3-5 years.

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• 2003 Château d'Yquem 97 Points

  France, Bordeaux, Sauternais, Sauternes

  An outstanding Sauternes and one of the more enjoyable young Sauternes I've had in recent memory (besting 01 Riessec, Suiduraut, 03/05 Climens and co). It passed the "smell and involuntary smile" test that so many outstanding wines in recent memory have elicited. This hallmark of this wine is not its exotic fruit which is marvellously knit with delicate vanilla creme brulee and coconut shavings. It is its uncanny ability to have such a light and weightless texture but such a powerful, endless and haunting finish. Is this not the true hallmark of greatness? Furthermore, it has tremendous upside to add complexity and depth with bottle age (decades), but is so accessible and delicious right now. WOTN. Thanks so much for furnishing Darryl and Nanci!

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