Château Haut-Brion & La Mission Haut-Brion Pessac Leognan 1998

The 1998 vintage is a personal favorite of mine for modern sleeper vintages in Bordeaux, which means that many wine lovers still overlook this year. I have always thought in my mind that it was something like the heralded but slightly forgotten 1950 vintage. However, I obviously did not taste the 1950s when they were young!

I was lucky enough to taste 1998 Chateau Haut-Brion and La Mission Haut-Brion recently side-by-side and I was slightly surprised how they opened and ready to drink they were. They were so wonderful in the glass now...

The Haut-Brion showed super decadent character with foie gras, plums and tobacco. It was full body, round and beautifully textured. It lasted for minutes after tasting. I scored it 96 points. Meanwhile, the La Mission Haut-Brion was even better. It showed so much iodine, chili, and currants with a distinct warm stone character in the nose. It was full body with ultra-velvety tannins and a fabulous finish. Plenty of licorice also came out of the glass. It's a fabulous wine now. 98 points.