1998 Château Belle-Vue (Haut-Médoc)

Community Tasting Notes (2) Avg Score: 87.5 points

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  10/29/2012 - isaacjamesbaker wrote: 88 Points

  Prune-purple color with tawny rims. Nose: initially quite dense, and it’s clear from first sniff that this wine is still alive and well. Plums and currant fruit aromas blend with moss and wet leaves. Sweet barbeque and soy sauce aromas came out with time. Basically an awesome nose. It's aromas like this that make me realize I'm not drinking Bordeaux frequently enough. On the palate: coffee grind tannins and medium+ acid. Fig and currant fruit flavors are matched by coffee, potting soil and mineral. Tobacco leaf and soy linger on the finish with toasty oak. Still going strong, and quite balanced. Some olive brine and pickle juice add a tangy finish. This is a really impressive effort from a petite chateau. It has the structure to age for another few years, or at least this bottle did. A blend of 50% cabernet, 40% merlot and 10% petit verdot, aged for 16 months in 80% new Hungarian oak. Time has really mellowed out the oak flavors and I was surprised at the amount of new oak in this wine.

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  10/23/2003 - rikipedia Likes this wine: 87 Points

  Vicard Barrel Tasting (Devon Valley Hotel): A blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon, 40% Merlot, and 10% Petit Verdot, the wine has 13% alcohol and was aged for 16 months, with 80% new Hungarian oak and 20% second-fill French oak—earthy and peppery approach with a bouquet of cedar wood, mushroom and some black fruits. A good intensity; there isn’t as much wood noted here. But fairly long and satisfying with a firmer tannin.

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