CRITIC REVIEWS
Neal Martin
The 1998 Haut-Brion is a vintage that has belatedly gained respect. It's simply one of the First Growth's best vintages since the 1989/1990. This bottle shows that it still deserves cellaring. With blackberry, crushed stone, tobacco and perhaps more floral/violet scents than I recall, it is an intense bouquet that does not hold back, yet is delivered with such panache. The palate is medium-bodied but, if anything, appears to have gained weight in recent years. Cedar-infused black fruit, allspice and tobacco, with a subtle marine influence, appear toward the finish. It is a fabulous Haut-Brion that should not be overlooked. Tasted at the Lia's Wings/book dinner at Medlar restaurant.
Lisa Perrotti-Brown
"Still incredibly youthful and sporting a lot of fruit, the deep garnet-brick colored 1998 Haut-Brion sashays out of the glass with flamboyant red and black fruits, followed by a train of cassis, blueberry pie and chocolate box notions plus accents of iron ore, dried lavender and underbrush. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is wonderfully rich and decadently seductive in its generosity of fruit and velvety texture, offering seamless freshness and finishing with epic length and compelling minerality. Oh so delicious right now, with careful cellaring it should continue to excite through 2045 and beyond."
JancisRobinson.com
55% Merlot, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc. Supple, big grain tannins. Densely layered. Impressive but a bit heavy. Still very young seeming. (RH)

