Stored in cool Whistler cellar less than 45 degrees F and part of a vertical tasting of Engel Clos Vougeot.. Medium light red with crushed dried cranberry nose. Soaring palate of white alpine strawberries and , cherry Asian spices with a dusting of white pepper on the backend. Best 2025-2040.
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In the zone and just about fully mature. No-doubter aromatics right from the pop of the cork with a big smack of earth and saddle leather-type scents that still manage to stay on the clean side of funky. On the palate this has mellowed out quite a bit from my last bottle just a few years ago, which was still densely packed - now the tannin feels mostly resolved into a silky, loose-knit package, an almost jarringly elegant take on Clos Vougeot that shows a bit more solidity in the stony backdraft on the finish.
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A special wine, showing very well though I don't think there's any rush. Savory plum and soy notes, backed by firm acidity and some impressive lift, but somewhat thin and diluted, which knocked it down a point or two.
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Dense color with some edge lightening. Nose quite intense with some initial VA giving way to black cry and plum with pungent earth and spice characters. Palate dense and a little 'lumpy' reflecting the year with excellent length and grip. Tannins are somewhat rustic and tighten the finish somewhat. A very good albeit slightly rustic drink. Plenty of character though.
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I'm sorry I drank most of my bottles years ago. This wine was closed and hard for the longest time, but it is finally losing most of the dry tannins, which allows the Engel perfume and elegant fruit to come out.
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The 1998 Engel Clos Vougeot is marked by the difficult vintage, as there is a touch of volatile acidity on the nose and a touch of rather rustic tannin on the finish, especially as the wine sits in the glass, but it is still a very good Clos Vougeot, with an attractive bouquet of wild plums, blood orange and fennel seed, and ample volume and flavor on the palate.
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Deep cherry red colour. Nose soaring dark berries, strawberry and chocolate. Touches of earth and spice add balance. Palate medium weight with excellent drive and density. Fine finish. At peak with just touches of tertiary characters. The CdVs I have had from 96 and 98 have really opened from austerity to real beauty over the last year !
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Wow, this has really hit its stride. It's picked up a ton of richness and at this point it is fresher and fleshier than any '98 I've had in a very long time. Next to two Chambolles, the tougher structure here was evident and this is probably just at the beginning of a very long drinking window. It's got succulent red fruit, a bit of spice, and some edgy tannin that is mostly saturated by the fruit but adds a satisfyingly robust presentation to fruit material that is otherwise very fine and elegant.
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1998 was a year that didn't particularly lend itself to plump, attractive, easy drinking Burgundies and this wine in its youth was a somewhat austere and awkward ugly duckling. Fourteen years on all that is beginning to change. This is still quite an austere, linear wine, but now it is displaying elegance and style, with a palate that is full of minerals, earth and black fruits. It has an acidic backbone that gives it a fine focus and there is still just a hint of tannin. The bouquet is aromatic and seductive. I like this a lot and suspect it will evolve positively over the next couple of years and could survive for many years to come. Looking at other tasting notes on here I can see that this wine does not have too many admirers, but all I would say is if you still have a bottle buried away then now may be the time to reassess. I certainly wish I had more, but at least it has left me with immensely positive memories of a highly talented winemaker who died too young. Phillipe Engel - thank you! Estimated maturity: Now - 2020+
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New Yorkers welcome Jason Goldberger to the hood. (Suzanne & Kenny's): Muted on the nose and reticent on the palate, too. There's tart red fruit present, but not in enough quantity to balance out the high acidity and earth notes. Taut and rather ungenerous. I'm not convinced there's enough wine here to turn into anything noteworthy. B.
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a bit cloudy in the glass. tasted more like a 96 as the wine had a lot of acid... that said, the elements seem to be in balance with 2ndary characteristic of forest floor, mushrooms and damp earth coming through. not at all drying on the finish. i found myself consistently going back and getting more. nice drink...
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Clearly, this bottle had been damaged by heat - cooked, and only a shell of what it probably is otherwise. If I rated the flawed wine, it'd get about a 75. It's really a shame.
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Again hand carried back from Cavon Baccus in Nuits St. George so great provenance. Unfortunately, just not one of the better wines in the lineup. Full red/purple. Plae aroma of bright red fruit. Really tight tannic black fruit with a sharp acidic finish. 9/06
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Bevan Cellars Comes to NYC (Triomphe): Starts out a bit rubbery although that goes away with some time in the glass. Complex nose of black cherries, flowers and anise promise that something behind it but it just didn't deliver. The wine just stops on the mid-palate and says no soup for you. The tannins are sharp and drying and maybe additional bottle age will make the wine relent. I'm just not sure.
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12/27/2021 - ricardito Likes this wine: 94 Points
Stored in cool Whistler cellar less than 45 degrees F and part of a vertical tasting of Engel Clos Vougeot.. Medium light red with crushed dried cranberry nose. Soaring palate of white alpine strawberries and , cherry Asian spices with a dusting of white pepper on the backend. Best 2025-2040.
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9/7/2021 - fcxj wrote: 90 Points
Bit of reductive stink. Quite light on palate, not perfectly clean.
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1/12/2019 - fcxj wrote: 92 Points
RE dinner. Creamy, destemmed aromatics.
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1/6/2019 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 97 Points
In the zone and just about fully mature. No-doubter aromatics right from the pop of the cork with a big smack of earth and saddle leather-type scents that still manage to stay on the clean side of funky. On the palate this has mellowed out quite a bit from my last bottle just a few years ago, which was still densely packed - now the tannin feels mostly resolved into a silky, loose-knit package, an almost jarringly elegant take on Clos Vougeot that shows a bit more solidity in the stony backdraft on the finish.
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9/9/2017 - JonnyG Likes this wine: 92 Points
A special wine, showing very well though I don't think there's any rush. Savory plum and soy notes, backed by firm acidity and some impressive lift, but somewhat thin and diluted, which knocked it down a point or two.
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6/29/2015 - drjb Likes this wine: 93 Points
Dense color with some edge lightening. Nose quite intense with some initial VA giving way to black cry and plum with pungent earth and spice characters. Palate dense and a little 'lumpy' reflecting the year with excellent length and grip. Tannins are somewhat rustic and tighten the finish somewhat. A very good albeit slightly rustic drink. Plenty of character though.
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5/18/2015 - cavalpha Likes this wine: 91 Points
I'm sorry I drank most of my bottles years ago. This wine was closed and hard for the longest time, but it is finally losing most of the dry tannins, which allows the Engel perfume and elegant fruit to come out.
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5/6/2015 - William Kelley Likes this wine: 91 Points
The 1998 Engel Clos Vougeot is marked by the difficult vintage, as there is a touch of volatile acidity on the nose and a touch of rather rustic tannin on the finish, especially as the wine sits in the glass, but it is still a very good Clos Vougeot, with an attractive bouquet of wild plums, blood orange and fennel seed, and ample volume and flavor on the palate.
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11/16/2014 - drjb Likes this wine: 94 Points
Deep cherry red colour. Nose soaring dark berries, strawberry and chocolate. Touches of earth and spice add balance. Palate medium weight with excellent drive and density. Fine finish. At peak with just touches of tertiary characters. The CdVs I have had from 96 and 98 have really opened from austerity to real beauty over the last year !
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6/19/2014 - Keith Levenberg Likes this wine: 95 Points
Wow, this has really hit its stride. It's picked up a ton of richness and at this point it is fresher and fleshier than any '98 I've had in a very long time. Next to two Chambolles, the tougher structure here was evident and this is probably just at the beginning of a very long drinking window. It's got succulent red fruit, a bit of spice, and some edgy tannin that is mostly saturated by the fruit but adds a satisfyingly robust presentation to fruit material that is otherwise very fine and elegant.
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10/1/2012 - cavalpha wrote: 89 Points
Agree with last reviewer. Finally coming round.
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9/16/2012 - nskelsey wrote: 90 Points
1998 was a year that didn't particularly lend itself to plump, attractive, easy drinking Burgundies and this wine in its youth was a somewhat austere and awkward ugly duckling. Fourteen years on all that is beginning to change. This is still quite an austere, linear wine, but now it is displaying elegance and style, with a palate that is full of minerals, earth and black fruits. It has an acidic backbone that gives it a fine focus and there is still just a hint of tannin. The bouquet is aromatic and seductive. I like this a lot and suspect it will evolve positively over the next couple of years and could survive for many years to come. Looking at other tasting notes on here I can see that this wine does not have too many admirers, but all I would say is if you still have a bottle buried away then now may be the time to reassess. I certainly wish I had more, but at least it has left me with immensely positive memories of a highly talented winemaker who died too young. Phillipe Engel - thank you! Estimated maturity: Now - 2020+
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9/11/2011 - Keith Levenberg wrote: 88 Points
More acidic and not as fleshy or as savory as my last bottle was a few years ago. Oh well.
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9/10/2011 - BradKNYC wrote:
New Yorkers welcome Jason Goldberger to the hood. (Suzanne & Kenny's): Muted on the nose and reticent on the palate, too. There's tart red fruit present, but not in enough quantity to balance out the high acidity and earth notes. Taut and rather ungenerous. I'm not convinced there's enough wine here to turn into anything noteworthy. B.
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3/20/2011 - carlwhat wrote:
a bit cloudy in the glass. tasted more like a 96 as the wine had a lot of acid... that said, the elements seem to be in balance with 2ndary characteristic of forest floor, mushrooms and damp earth coming through. not at all drying on the finish. i found myself consistently going back and getting more. nice drink...
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7/11/2009 - Rossodio wrote: flawed
Clearly, this bottle had been damaged by heat - cooked, and only a shell of what it probably is otherwise. If I rated the flawed wine, it'd get about a 75. It's really a shame.
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9/22/2007 - KeyMaster wrote: 90 Points
Excellent.
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3/16/2007 - Paul D wrote: 86 Points
Wine-Pages Clos de Vougeot Dinner (Rosemary Lane Restaurant, London E1): Lacking a little volume but better and riper than the 98 Grivot. Gamey red fruit on the palate, decent strawberry, slightly tannic finish.
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9/12/2006 - Burgundy Al wrote:
Clos Vougeot Dinner (Le Francais - Wheeling IL): Austere with far too much structure for the level of fruit. Off bottle?
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9/1/2006 - winefool wrote: 87 Points
Again hand carried back from Cavon Baccus in Nuits St. George so great provenance. Unfortunately, just not one of the better wines in the lineup. Full red/purple. Plae aroma of bright red fruit. Really tight tannic black fruit with a sharp acidic finish. 9/06
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8/10/2006 - bsherwin wrote:
Bevan Cellars Comes to NYC (Triomphe): Starts out a bit rubbery although that goes away with some time in the glass. Complex nose of black cherries, flowers and anise promise that something behind it but it just didn't deliver. The wine just stops on the mid-palate and says no soup for you. The tannins are sharp and drying and maybe additional bottle age will make the wine relent. I'm just not sure.
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