Chateau Cheval Blanc 1998

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "The 1998 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-brick in color and absolutely explodes with scents of exotic spices, incense, dried roses, cigar box and licorice, with a core of crème de cassis and dried cherries plus touches of black tea and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with rich, plushly textured fruit and then POW—it hits the mid-palate with an explosion of Chinese five spice and floral perfume sparks, leading to an epically long finish. This cannot fail to impress and can easily cellar for another 30 years or more."

WEINWISSER: "Sehr dunkles, tiefes Weinrot mit Purpur-Schimmer. Warmes, heisses Bouquet, viel Dörrfrüchte, Anflüge von jungem Vintage-Port, Korinthen, Vanilleschote, Cassis und Brombeeren, in sich verschlossen aber eine gebündelte, irgendwann explodierende Nase aufzeigend. Bereits heute ein Mundvoll Wein im Gaumen, viel Fett, reiche, reife, geniale Tannine, süss ausstrahlend und den rubenshaften Körper stützend, im Finale wieder Vanille, Rosinen und viel Lakritze, Black-Currant-Noten. Ein grosser, genialer Cheval, als einziger mit der Chance, sich dem legendären 1947er anzunähern."

JEB DUNNUCK: "Another perfect wine is the 1998 Cheval Blanc, which is the usual blend of 55/45 Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Possessing an utterly captivating bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, forest floor, spice and dried flowers, it packs plenty of muscle and depth on the palate, yet is also expansive, elegant and seamless, with no hard edges. Just singing, with everything you could want; complexity, richness, elegance, depth, and length, drink this sensational beauty anytime over the coming two decades. I’m sure it will keep longer, but why in the world would you wait."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "This is a future rock star! At 20, it is a stunning tasting experience. The opulent, no, make that decadent texture is a show stopper! The layers of perfectly ripe, sweet, exotic, cherry and plum seem to come in endless waves. You can park your nose in a glass of this for hours. And the best is yet to come. While this is quite pricey, it is probably the best deal for those with the extra income to buy in today's, increasingly, expensive world."

JAMES SUCKLING: "Aromas of rose petal and hints of fresh herbs such currant leaf. Tobacco, too. Medium body, very fine tannins and a balanced fruit. Extremely refined and polished. A beautiful harmony. So lovely now."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Aromas of blueberry, sweet tobacco, leather and pipe tobacco turning to raisins and Christmas cake. What a wine. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a very well-integrated palate. Dark color. A big and powerful wine still. Blockbuster. Massive. Just a baby.—'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2013. 8,330 cases made, 1,600 cases imported. —"

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Extremely deep purplish crimson. Very healthy, bright. Baby wine. All tucked in in the most correct way. Rather polished and sumptuous. Taffeta silky, gorgeous but very youthful. Lots of tannins and beautifully managed. Not too recipe-led. A fine expression of the château."

FALSTAFF: "Dunkles Rubingranat, violette Reflexe, dezente Randaufhellung. Zunächst etwas verhalten, florale Nuancen, kleine schwarze Beeren, ein Hauch von kandieren Orangenzesten und ein Hauch von Edelholz. Stoffig und mit süßer Frucht, reife Tannine, ausgestattet, elegant, recht geradelinig, feine Nuancen von exotischen Gewürzen und Schokolade im Nachhall, zeigt gut Frische und doch noch keinen ausgeprägten Cheval Blanc-Charakter. Hier ist Geduld angesagt, befindet sich gerade in einer aromatischen Metamorphose, hat Luft nach oben."