this was showing nice maturity. beautiful drink it was dark black with a slight orange robe. pnp. mature chateuneuf flavour. mushrooms and sou bois. integrated. best with red meat but tasted with cabbage rolls. still 5 years
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Dinner @ Home (Fremont, CA): Similar to my last complete note from 2/26/17, though the nose seems more aromatic with air. Still somewhat limited fruits on the palate that suggest this is on the downswing. Enjoyable though, better with 1 hour of air than when first opened. 87-88
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Coravin 2/26/17: Pale ruby-garnet with significant bricking; nose is moderately aromatic with red cherry fruit, slight iron minerality, fairly clean; palate is light bodied, iodine, red fruit, tannins present in the midpalate and slightly drying; short finish. Similar to my last note in 2013, but I don't think the additional age has added much and has highlighted its fading fruit. Drink now. 87-88
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Fully mature, lovely sour cherry, silky, wonderfully integrated. The fruit has faded, leaving a bright, leathery wine with notes of a beef-cherry reduction. Not complex nor profound, just lovely, satisfying drinking.
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Bought in a job lot. Drinking well but nothing that special. Fully mature drink soon. Expected a liitle more. Bottle variation? Good buy if competitively priced.
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Dinner at Home (Home): Medium garnet color; nose of iron, slight gamey, fresh smelling (not too much brett); palate has great acid, fresh palate, medium bodied, subtle red fruits, burst of drying at the end of the palate (not tannic, just drying); short finish. Balanced, classic CdP, drinking well now, perhaps a little light on the intensity on both the nose and palate. Very good now, 89-90, unclear on whether this will improve. I would drink these up within a few years, but I will see what air does to this wine (previous notes suggest it will improve after an hour). Update: 30 min air- no real change. Still a bit thin on nose and palate. 60 min air- maybe a bit more dense on the palate, but the fruit is still a bit light. An enjoyable CdP, but not much more.
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Medium ruby with minimal lightening. As with a bottle in 2010, some transient brett that did not prove to be a flaw or distraction. After that, a marvelous mix of black licorice, lavender and bright strawberry fruit which strengthened over 2 hours. Beautiful balance and feel; I was particularly impressed with the acidity and caressing finish. Nothing overripe or attenuated about this at all. Natural sweetness of ripe fruit without being confectionery. My last bottle of this-quite a memorable exit.
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Started out a bit mute but definately picked up steam with air time. In the end, a classically styled CDP that was really at home with wine (cote de rhone) braised beef.
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This is the last of three of this vintage. Not a memorable wine. The over powering taste is like licking a flower. Very floral. The finish is dry and gritty. This wine is unfiltered. I did my best to clarify it. Overall - disappointing for a 12 year wait.
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Good fill and cork. Double-decanted 20 mins before. Sour purple fruit, minor spice. Surprising, soft heart. I'm not certain is that's a style thing w.r.t. tannins, or a fine maturity. Prob a bit of both... if more of the former, in a ripe-Grenache kind of way. Nose a little simple, but the rest of the package suggests that ought to blossom with more air. Instead, quickly develops a burnt, blocking caramel-to-licorice note. I think that's the one marker here of the over-hot vintage: by contrast 2007 has what I'd term dark caramel, which is patently compelling rather than the off-putting character here. Anyway, the sour fruit and freshness is really classic. Really lingers. An excellent drink, if not a complete package. 90 to 91, 90. Chance at 93 with right bottle, right air. A good 5 year window left.
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Fall Fest Wines (Larry's): This actually drank surprisingly youthful. Lots of clean cherry and raspberry fruit. While there was a lot of complexity and layering, this still is not yet at peak. It is medium bodied and not a monster wine. Delicious. No hurry.
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Impressive. I was pleasantly surprised about how well structured this wine is given it's a 1998. Lots of farm aromas on the nose for the first half hour or so. Then beautifully refined cherry fruit with a subtle mineral touch. This got better and better with air. I was guessing this to be a 2001 as it possessed none of the heat or uber-ripeness one sometimes finds in the 98s. Niels brought this one from his cellar. Dinner at home with Niels, Christian and Heidi.
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Overall the wine was good, but it did not knock my socks off. I have several wines that I have aged 10 years plus and this one disappointed a bit. It was still nice but not great.
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Filled with kirsch, iodine, chocolate, licorice, dark berry filled preserves, earth and pepper aromas, this rich, full bodied, intense, ripe wine ends with dense, powerful, peppery, jammy berries. This remains one of the top values for 98 Chateauneuf du Pape.
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Moderately depth of color without any signs of maturity. Worrisome elements of barnyard and raisins at first, but these proved to be misleading. Ultimately, a wonderful mixture of red and black fruit, caramel, and finally Provencale herbs made for a very intoxicating nose. Medium weight, outstanding acidity and no trace of overripeness. I was mightily impressed with its deeply imbued fruit and savory complexity. Old style Chateauneuf rather than a cheery, Grenache-based style. Most like a bottle I had almost 3 years ago, although intervening notes have been variable.
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I have had this wine in my cellar for 10 years now and just opened the first of 3. The wine is good but not spectacular. I was expecting more. I would describe the taste as dry sour cherry and earth. The wine has mellowed quite a bit and has a nice clean finish. I still really enjoyed the wine but was expecting so much more from a Chat du pape.
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This wine has really developed its secondary characteristics over the last year. The Grenache fruit is still there, if a little muted. Now there is a good amount of black currant on the nose and palate. Still lots of acid and tannin. This wine has 10+ years to go. Will get better with another 5+ years. Lots of sediment. I like it younger while their is still fruit, but it also has good secondary characteristics. Great with food. Yum. Drink my remaining lot over the next 3-5 yrs.
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Medium ruby with lighter rim. Well, the "touch of brett" I noted 18 months ago has blossomed into a frontal assault of funkiness that deprived the wine of fruit and gave a dry, metallic finish. Barely drinkable, but why bother? I am in the midst of a bad run of '98 Chateauneufs.
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Decanted for 2.5 hours. Color/density has faded a lot from when first purchased. Some light bricking on rim. Some spicy red fruit on the nose. The palate is more intense with spicy red currant. Some earth. Very long finish. Tannins still a little overbearing. Modest sediment. Needs another 2-3 years to be at peak but enjoyable now. Tannins don't fade much with decanting. Very nice wine. Getting better all the time. Great buy at $20 in 2001.
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Ripe lush fruit, little bit of shoe polish, not much spice, but great mid palate. Nice now will but will likely improve, great example of just how awesome 1998 CdP is.
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Excellent wine. Had only one bottle and very low expectations but it had brilliant fruit and brightness and some good complexities. Everybody was surprised and impressed.
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Dark color. Fascinating, evolving nose with a touch of brett, a whiff of porty surmaturite, black cherry, thyme, and finally high toned perfume. For all this, medium weight, deep, dry black berry and cherry fruit, and finishing round tannins. No gratuitous sweetness here. This is savory and serious, the darker side of Chateauneuf (Syrah in the blend?). Really excellent and yielding much more than a bottle earlier in the year.
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Medium color with brown edges. All about tarry black fruit, in fact one of the more brooding Chateauneufs I've had recently. A porty note as well. Good depth of flavors.
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Somewhat muted on the nose as well, but then I didn't get to it for a while after it was in my glass. Shows a nice herbal quality. Herbs come through with some fruit on the palate. The long finish shows the fruit along with some smoke. This holds up in the glass well and develops a piney earthiness on the nose with some time. I think this is a wine that would be very pleasant to drink over dinner, but it will never be spectacular.
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Chicago Wine Geeks do CdP (Joe Wu's Place): Another wine wiht inky purple color in the glass. A reticent nose - only revealing some slight barnyard. Tannic. Fruit is trying to breakthrough. This wine is likely shut down.
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3/24/2019 - beachbum Likes this wine: 90 Points
this was showing nice maturity. beautiful drink it was dark black with a slight orange robe. pnp. mature chateuneuf flavour. mushrooms and sou bois. integrated. best with red meat but tasted with cabbage rolls. still 5 years
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3/11/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 88 Points
Dinner @ Home (Fremont, CA): Similar to my last complete note from 2/26/17, though the nose seems more aromatic with air. Still somewhat limited fruits on the palate that suggest this is on the downswing. Enjoyable though, better with 1 hour of air than when first opened. 87-88
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2/26/2017 - aagrawal wrote: 87 Points
Coravin 2/26/17: Pale ruby-garnet with significant bricking; nose is moderately aromatic with red cherry fruit, slight iron minerality, fairly clean; palate is light bodied, iodine, red fruit, tannins present in the midpalate and slightly drying; short finish. Similar to my last note in 2013, but I don't think the additional age has added much and has highlighted its fading fruit. Drink now. 87-88
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6/3/2016 - Loekkeboe Likes this wine: 93 Points
Very nice and super drinkable CdP. From magnum.
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1/15/2016 - amateurwino wrote: flawed
Alas, corked, which was too bad because it was expressive enough that you could tell there was a lovely wine behind the TCA.
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4/10/2015 - blanquito wrote: 91 Points
Fully mature, lovely sour cherry, silky, wonderfully integrated. The fruit has faded, leaving a bright, leathery wine with notes of a beef-cherry reduction. Not complex nor profound, just lovely, satisfying drinking.
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9/20/2013 - Thoughtful Likes this wine: 88 Points
Bought in a job lot. Drinking well but nothing that special. Fully mature drink soon. Expected a liitle more. Bottle variation? Good buy if competitively priced.
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5/10/2013 - broadband013 wrote: 61 Points
Maderisé
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4/5/2013 - aagrawal wrote: 90 Points
Dinner at Home (Home): Medium garnet color; nose of iron, slight gamey, fresh smelling (not too much brett); palate has great acid, fresh palate, medium bodied, subtle red fruits, burst of drying at the end of the palate (not tannic, just drying); short finish. Balanced, classic CdP, drinking well now, perhaps a little light on the intensity on both the nose and palate. Very good now, 89-90, unclear on whether this will improve. I would drink these up within a few years, but I will see what air does to this wine (previous notes suggest it will improve after an hour).
Update: 30 min air- no real change. Still a bit thin on nose and palate.
60 min air- maybe a bit more dense on the palate, but the fruit is still a bit light. An enjoyable CdP, but not much more.
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2/15/2012 - Wine Moose wrote: 91 Points
Was very youthful. needed a good hour ++ to open. the best of the 5 bottles I've opened. keep last one for 5+
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1/29/2012 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium ruby with minimal lightening. As with a bottle in 2010, some transient brett that did not prove to be a flaw or distraction. After that, a marvelous mix of black licorice, lavender and bright strawberry fruit which strengthened over 2 hours. Beautiful balance and feel; I was particularly impressed with the acidity and caressing finish. Nothing overripe or attenuated about this at all. Natural sweetness of ripe fruit without being confectionery. My last bottle of this-quite a memorable exit.
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12/24/2011 - Neurowine1 wrote: 91 Points
Started out a bit mute but definately picked up steam with air time. In the end, a classically styled CDP that was really at home with wine (cote de rhone) braised beef.
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12/24/2011 - whitealleycat wrote: 81 Points
This is the last of three of this vintage. Not a memorable wine. The over powering taste is like licking a flower. Very floral. The finish is dry and gritty. This wine is unfiltered. I did my best to clarify it. Overall - disappointing for a 12 year wait.
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12/4/2011 - campingfleurie wrote: 90 Points
Good fill and cork. Double-decanted 20 mins before. Sour purple fruit, minor spice. Surprising, soft heart. I'm not certain is that's a style thing w.r.t. tannins, or a fine maturity. Prob a bit of both... if more of the former, in a ripe-Grenache kind of way. Nose a little simple, but the rest of the package suggests that ought to blossom with more air. Instead, quickly develops a burnt, blocking caramel-to-licorice note. I think that's the one marker here of the over-hot vintage: by contrast 2007 has what I'd term dark caramel, which is patently compelling rather than the off-putting character here. Anyway, the sour fruit and freshness is really classic. Really lingers. An excellent drink, if not a complete package. 90 to 91, 90. Chance at 93 with right bottle, right air. A good 5 year window left.
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10/22/2011 - Loren Sonkin wrote: 93 Points
Fall Fest Wines (Larry's): This actually drank surprisingly youthful. Lots of clean cherry and raspberry fruit. While there was a lot of complexity and layering, this still is not yet at peak. It is medium bodied and not a monster wine. Delicious. No hurry.
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5/26/2011 - winelovr2001 wrote: 93 Points
At the perfect drinking stage, tannins totally resolved with great spice and kirsch.
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4/5/2011 - Johann Von Mastiff wrote: 93 Points
This wine is really good and in a great place right now. Popped and poured and it was singing right away.
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3/11/2011 - pbaek wrote:
Impressive. I was pleasantly surprised about how well structured this wine is given it's a 1998. Lots of farm aromas on the nose for the first half hour or so. Then beautifully refined cherry fruit with a subtle mineral touch. This got better and better with air. I was guessing this to be a 2001 as it possessed none of the heat or uber-ripeness one sometimes finds in the 98s. Niels brought this one from his cellar. Dinner at home with Niels, Christian and Heidi.
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2/20/2011 - beachbum wrote: 89 Points
nice solid fruit, cdp cjaracter, maturing, no rush
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12/28/2010 - whitealleycat wrote: 88 Points
Overall the wine was good, but it did not knock my socks off. I have several wines that I have aged 10 years plus and this one disappointed a bit. It was still nice but not great.
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8/6/2010 - Jeff Leve wrote: 94 Points
Filled with kirsch, iodine, chocolate, licorice, dark berry filled preserves, earth and pepper aromas, this rich, full bodied, intense, ripe wine ends with dense, powerful, peppery, jammy berries. This remains one of the top values for 98 Chateauneuf du Pape.
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8/1/2010 - drwine2001 wrote:
Moderately depth of color without any signs of maturity. Worrisome elements of barnyard and raisins at first, but these proved to be misleading. Ultimately, a wonderful mixture of red and black fruit, caramel, and finally Provencale herbs made for a very intoxicating nose. Medium weight, outstanding acidity and no trace of overripeness. I was mightily impressed with its deeply imbued fruit and savory complexity. Old style Chateauneuf rather than a cheery, Grenache-based style. Most like a bottle I had almost 3 years ago, although intervening notes have been variable.
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2/26/2010 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium color. Savory and somber with black fruit and licorice. Medium weight without heaviness or excess ripeness. Very good.
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1/16/2010 - beachbum wrote: 89 Points
after a day of skiiing, the cool crunchy fruit went very well with the bbq pork. solid bottle that still has a way to go, but nice now
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12/25/2009 - whitealleycat wrote: 90 Points
I have had this wine in my cellar for 10 years now and just opened the first of 3. The wine is good but not spectacular. I was expecting more. I would describe the taste as dry sour cherry and earth. The wine has mellowed quite a bit and has a nice clean finish. I still really enjoyed the wine but was expecting so much more from a Chat du pape.
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10/25/2009 - pawine wrote: 93 Points
This wine has really developed its secondary characteristics over the last year. The Grenache fruit is still there, if a little muted. Now there is a good amount of black currant on the nose and palate. Still lots of acid and tannin. This wine has 10+ years to go. Will get better with another 5+ years. Lots of sediment. I like it younger while their is still fruit, but it also has good secondary characteristics. Great with food. Yum. Drink my remaining lot over the next 3-5 yrs.
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3/3/2009 - drwine2001 wrote: flawed
Medium ruby with lighter rim. Well, the "touch of brett" I noted 18 months ago has blossomed into a frontal assault of funkiness that deprived the wine of fruit and gave a dry, metallic finish. Barely drinkable, but why bother? I am in the midst of a bad run of '98 Chateauneufs.
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12/5/2008 - pawine wrote: 93 Points
Decanted for 2.5 hours. Color/density has faded a lot from when first purchased. Some light bricking on rim. Some spicy red fruit on the nose. The palate is more intense with spicy red currant. Some earth. Very long finish. Tannins still a little overbearing. Modest sediment. Needs another 2-3 years to be at peak but enjoyable now. Tannins don't fade much with decanting. Very nice wine. Getting better all the time. Great buy at $20 in 2001.
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10/25/2008 - Tree512 wrote: 90 Points
Ripe lush fruit, little bit of shoe polish, not much spice, but great mid palate. Nice now will but will likely improve, great example of just how awesome 1998 CdP is.
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7/25/2008 - cseanb1 wrote: 91 Points
Opened and not decanted. Elegant and classic CdP. Wish there were more.
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2/14/2008 - phenricsson wrote: 93 Points
Excellent wine. Had only one bottle and very low expectations but it had brilliant fruit and brightness and some good complexities. Everybody was surprised and impressed.
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12/16/2007 - pdadams66 wrote: 85 Points
Reasonable wine, but a little disappointing. Lack of body and some cooked flavours. Previous bottles drunk a year or two earlier seemed better.
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9/25/2007 - drwine2001 wrote:
Dark color. Fascinating, evolving nose with a touch of brett, a whiff of porty surmaturite, black cherry, thyme, and finally high toned perfume. For all this, medium weight, deep, dry black berry and cherry fruit, and finishing round tannins. No gratuitous sweetness here. This is savory and serious, the darker side of Chateauneuf (Syrah in the blend?). Really excellent and yielding much more than a bottle earlier in the year.
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4/1/2007 - drwine2001 wrote:
Medium color with brown edges. All about tarry black fruit, in fact one of the more brooding Chateauneufs I've had recently. A porty note as well. Good depth of flavors.
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4/2/2006 - jlm wrote:
Somewhat muted on the nose as well, but then I didn't get to it for a while after it was in my glass. Shows a nice herbal quality. Herbs come through with some fruit on the palate. The long finish shows the fruit along with some smoke. This holds up in the glass well and develops a piney earthiness on the nose with some time. I think this is a wine that would be very pleasant to drink over dinner, but it will never be spectacular.
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4/1/2006 - Nanda wrote: 86 Points
Chicago Wine Geeks do CdP (Joe Wu's Place): Another wine wiht inky purple color in the glass. A reticent nose - only revealing some slight barnyard. Tannic. Fruit is trying to breakthrough. This wine is likely shut down.
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9/19/2005 - Russell Faulkner wrote: 90 Points
Chateauneuf Offline (Caldesi, London): Another interesting back ender. Strong fruits, with a nice acid balance, depth to the finish.
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