1998 Cheval Blanc
By Chateau Cheval Blanc
1998 Cheval Blanc from Chateau Cheval Blanc, Saint-Émilion, Bordeaux
In the echelons of fine wines, the 1998 Cheval Blanc from Chateau Cheval Blanc emerges as a sterling example of Saint-Émilion's prowess. This vintage is a chapbook of the winemaker's art and the beneficence of a Bordeaux climatic sweet spot. It marked a year when weather patterns danced to create optimal ripening conditions for one of Bordeaux's most iconic wines.
Breaking Boundaries: The Merlots That Define A Vintage
The 1998 vintage showcases the ability of a great estate to transcend the capriciousness of nature. Known for its broad strokes in Merlot, this year even exceeded the boundless expectations placed upon it. A canvas painted with rich, dark fruit suggestions and a tapestry of finely-spun tannins, the wine exhibits an aristocratic poise that symbolises its noble terroir.
In Search of Perfection: Unveiling The Mystique
This particular vintage impresses with its resplendent bouquet, an olfactory diorama teeming with black cherries, plums, and an undercurrent of truffle and tobacco. On the palate, it unfurls with elegant precision, adorned with intricate flavours webbed over a backbone of smooth yet assertive tannins that whisper promises of longevity. As it decants, anthologies of secondary notes reveal themselves—a testimony to its superb aging capacity.
The 1998 Cheval Blanc stands as one magnanimous chapter in Chateau Cheval Blanc’s storied anthology, speaking directly to those with discerning palates and those seeking illustrious additions to their investment portfolios.
Embrace The Tapestry: A Wine Woven With History
For the connoisseur or the investor, this particular bottle embodies the nexus between luxury and sagacity. Beyond its particular lusciousness lies a history—of meticulous viticulture, consummate winemaking, and venerable terroir. These are not mere traits but tangible threads in the mature tapestry that is the 1998 Cheval Blanc from Chateau Cheval Blanc.
The virtues of investing in this spotless vintage are manifold; rightfully lauded by aficionados and insiders alike, it continues to perform admirably with each passing year. One savours not just a wine but ensconces oneself in the rich tapestry of Bordeaux's vinicultural mastery—a true hallmark in one’s collection, both resplendent to the senses and robust for portfolio enhancement.
Market price (GBP)
£10,290.00
12x75cl
Highest score
100
POP score
514.5
Scores and tasting notes
This structured and powerful red is finally coming out its sleep. It shows intense aromas of dried fruits, mushrooms, forest floor and berries. It's full-bodied, very dense and velvety, and has an outstanding, ripe and richly fruity finish. A wine that harkens back to the legendary 1947 Cheval-Blanc. Drink or hold.
James Suckling - jamessuckling.com, September 9th 2013
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.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown - The Wine Advocate, 31 May 2018
As swarthy and magisterial as the bottle last October. No point saying any more! Tasted September 2008. (This is destined to be a legendary Cheval Blanc. A deep garnet colour. The nose is intense, though more broody than the bottle shown four months later with hints of blackberry, plum and sloe. The bouquet needs time to unfurl, so advise serious decanting if opening any bottles now. The palate is full-bodied, beautifully delineated with here, a hint of oyster sauce on the mid-palate. Crunchy blackberry, oodles of sweet Merlot but unlike the '01, complemented by some wonderful Cabernet Franc. Even after a couple of hours in glass, this wine is revealing nuances. Stunning. Tasted October 2007.)
Neal Martin - Wine Journal Nov 2008
I seriously underestimated this wine, as I have often tended to do with Cheval Blanc. A potentially immortal example that has gained significant weight since it has been bottled, this blend of 55% Cabernet Franc and 45% Merlot has a saturated purple color and a glorious nose of menthol, plums, mulberries, new saddle leather, cocoa, and vanilla. Remarkably fuller-bodied than I ever remembered it young, with an amazingly seamless texture and tremendous concentration and extract, this full-bodied yet gorgeously pure and elegant wine is impeccably balanced and certainly one of the all-time great Cheval Blancs. If it continues to improve as much as it has over the last three years since bottling, this wine will certainly rival the 2000, 1990, and 1982. Anticipated maturity: 2009-2030. Last tasted, 1/03.
Robert Parker Jr - Bordeaux Book, 4th Edition Jan 2003