1998 Château Haut-Brion Pessac-Léognan Bordeaux France Wine Tasting Note

Just when you think this wine could not get any better, 2 years later, it seems to have developed more richness, complexity, and vibrancy. The full-bodied, rich, concentrated wine offers endless waves of dark red fruits, smoke, cigar box, cedar, tar, leather, and campfire aromatics. Rich, intense, balanced, fresh, and refined, if you have the extra money hanging around, this is the Haut Brion to buy today. Drink from 2022-2060.

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This is the Haut Brion to buy if you are seeking a stunning wine with some age. Adding more nuances and complexities every year, this youthful stunner hits all the right notes. Rich, full-bodied, concentrated, long and intense, even with so much power and concentration, the wine never loses sight of its elegant, refined character. The nose is enthralling with its cornucopia of smoke, earth and red berry essences. The palate steals your attention with its multiple layers of elegant, velvet drenched, dark red, tobacco leaf stainted fruits. The endnote lingers, building and expanding. All great wines drink well young. But like all great wines, it will be best on maturity. If you have a case, pop a cork to see where it's at. If you only have a few bottles, wait another 5-7 years and drink it over the following 2-3 decades with ease.

Clearly, this is at the level of the much more expensive 1990. Combining elegance and power, soft, silky tannins and concentration, smoke, red fruits, tobacco and earthy nuances and a refined finish that seems to stick with you for 50 seconds, this is just starting to drink well. In 5 years, it promises to be even better! For a high-quality vintage of Haut Brion, especially one with bottle age, this is the best deal in the marketplace today.

If you're seeking to discover what Haut Brion is all about, or if you just want to check out a First Growth Bordeaux, this bottle is for you. Rich, fresh, polished, long and deep, with vibrant fruit and complexity. Yes, it is still young, but it is so good today, and it is the best value play for Haut Brion.

This is a beauty in every sense of the word. Its silky essence is rich, complex and regal. This finesse driven, elegant wine offers a beautiful purity of fruit, smoke and earth. There is more than enough fruit to make if fun to drink now. Yet patient consumers will be rewarded if they can wait 5-10 more years.

Smoky, with rich layers of ripe, elegant, plush fruits, a tannic backbone to age and a long, stylish finish that does not quit. With about one of decanting, this was rockin'!

Still young, but this is a treat at any age with its showy nose of tobacco, cigar box, tar, smoke, cassis, dark berries and earth. Concentrated, pure, refined and fresh, the fruit has a beautiful, pure, silky personality that continues to build in the finish. If you like wines on the young side, with 2 hours of air this is a wonderful tasting experience. If you prefer more secondary aromas, flavors and textures, wait 10-20 years and this will be stunning!

This has been a delight to taste the day it was bottled and it keeps getting better and more interesting with each passing year. Strong notes of smoke, cigar box, black raspberry and earth create the perfume. On the palate is where the wine shines with its silky tannins, rich textures and elegant, supple finish

Picture smoke, hot stones, pipe tobacco, cassis, oak, forest floor and earthy, truffle scents, and you get an idea of the aromatics starting to make themselves known in this wine. On the palate, purity and elegance, soft textures and refined silky tannins that remind me of a better version of the delicious 1985 Haut Brion. While this is already drinking well today, it's only going to get better over the next few decades.

1998 Haut Brion is filled with pungent spicy blackberry, tobacco, smoke, cedar chest and cigar box aromas. Deep, rich, concentrated with layers of rich, ripe fruit. This wine fills the palate with ripe, sweet, soft textured dark fruit with a purity of flavor and ample freshness to give it lift. Everything is in balance. This great wine can be opened young, or aged for decades. It remains one of the best vintages of Haut Brion to buy in the market place today. 97 Pts

This perfectly combines liquid silk, elegance and power to make a magic elixir. This is serious wine. The complex nose alone makes it worth the price of admission. Filled with scents of cassis, tobacco, smoke, truffle and spices, it’s a treat for the senses. But the multiple layers of rich, velvet laden, sensuous fruit that cascade over your palate in endless waves prove this Haut Brion is the real deal. I have loved this wine from minute one. This is a great Haut Brion that might turn out almost as good as the majestic 90 in another decade or two. It is much better than the fabulous duo of 95 & 96. I imagine this will mature in 10-15 years and remain at that peak level for decades. Along with the stellar 1985, the 1998 represents the best deal in the market place for a high quality Chateau Haut-Brion.

This splendid wine offers a complex smoky, truffle nose with cassis, herbs, and earth. Perfectly balanced on the palate with a wonderful texture. The finish is close to seamless

The nose alone with its complexities makes it worth the price of admission. But the multiple layers of rich, silky, sensuous fruit that cascade over your palate in endless waves prove this is the real deal.

A deep, complex compelling perfume and layers of rich, ripe, decadent fruit are easy to discern. This will only get better with time.