Beaucastel Chateauneuf du Pape Rouge 1998 Case (750MLx12)

97 DE / 96 WE / 96 WA / 95 JD / 95 WS / 93 VM / 18 JR

Comfortably still in its mature window, with old leather, blackberry jam and some whiffs of hung game. Enjoyably chewy tannins still, this is still powerful, with good length. Time to drink up now, but no hurry.-Matt Walls, Decanter

A big, rich wine with huge amounts of fruit oozing out of the glass. Great concentration and intensity, with licorice flavors from the Mourvèdre, finishing with chewy tannins. A great year for this wine, which should age well for 15 to 20 years.-Wine Enthusiast

The 1998 is unquestionably one of the great modern day Beaucastels, but because of its high Grenache content, it is different from some of the other classics.-Robert M. Parker, Jr., The Wine Advocate

A slightly finicky wine that has shown a smidge erratically over the past 5 years or so, the 1998 Château de Beaucastel Châteauneuf-du-Pape showed brilliantly in this tasting, possibly hinting that it’s starting to enter early maturity. Beautifully fresh and clean, with gorgeous underlying structure and depth, yet still youthful and meaty, with hints of complexity, this should continue to evolve positively for another 3-5 years, at which point it should show well for another decade or more.-Jeb Dunnuck

Very youthful, with a juicy blast of red plum and fig fruit flavors on a racy frame, this also has plenty of spice, tar, plum cake and mineral in reserve, as the finish shows more structure and slowly darkens with time in the glass. Only just starting to hit its stride.--1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape retrospective. Drink now through 2027. 15,000 cases made.-James Molesworth, Wine Spectator

Saturated ruby-red. Superripe but reticent, grenache-dominated aromas of roasted plum, cherry jam, tar and humus. Fat, lush and stuffed with fruit; almost heavy today compared to the '99. But this is utterly silky and its firm underlying structure is buried by fruit and baby fat. Intriguing meat and licorice notes. A wine of superb finesse and superfine tannins.-Stephen Tanzer, Vinous Media

Scented and fresh, still showing some red fruit and a touch of vanilla. Elegant and silky. Lingers with flavours of thyme and a hint of bitter chocolate. 'A Grenache vintage', according to Marc Perrin.-Jancis Robinson