Grand Puy Lacoste 1998

Tasted at the chateau, this has a ripe, almost sorbet-like nose with floral overtones, violets and rose petals complementing the succulent strawberries, loganberry and red cherries. The palate is fleshy, seems to be more Merlot-dominated at present, but certainly full-bodied, with great depth for the vintage. Ripe, saturated tannins towards the finish that is bursting full of bright black cherries and briary. Great length. A lovely '98 that still needs another 3-5 years before becoming approachable. Tasted April 2008.

The 1998 reveals a classic creme de cassis-scented nose along with powerful, tight, firmly-structured flavors. While moderate tannin is present, there is more than enough extract and depth behind the tannin to support the enthusiastic rating. However, this wine needs 3-4 more years of cellaring, and should keep for 16-18 years. This is a top-flight claret.