I was struck by the "shutting down" of 1998 burgundies reported in 2011 [in these recent posts - picking up a year-old thread] - and will open a new post on when burgundies "shut down". Usual wisdom is that this occurs anywhere from 2-5 years after bottling, but 13!?

Just picked up some D.Laurent 98 Cazetiers - they should be interesting. Last year I picked up his 98 CSJ and whilst there was a mark of oak I found it not too distracting. Perhaps 2-3 weeks and I'll pop one of these.

A while back (6 months?), we had the 1998 Vogue Bonnes Mares. Out of this world, drinking beautifully now, but plenty of life left in it...

No experience with the Hospices Mazis-Chambertin 1998.

I should add that Maureen commented favorably on 1998s earlier in this thread, but recently had warned me that they were shutting down a bit. Also to add that I have recently had other 1998s, notably Clavelier Chambolle-Combe d'Orveaux, that conformed to the pattern I state above -- ok to drink but not at top potential for the moment and not as good as a couple of years ago.

Thanks for this Claude.

Am particularly interested in the Maume Mazis. Had been thinking the same you articulate myself & that could be left a good while yet, hence glad to have the confirmation.

On a related note have you any 'experience' of the Hospices Mazis 'Madelaine Collignon' as another wine I'm currently interested in ? Is this a Jadot / Lardiere production or, if not, do you know who makes it ? Merci.

My Burgundy group did 1998s last week. The wines showed well, but my impression is that as a whole, the wines have closed up some from a couple of years ago. While you can drink them with pleasure, I think there will be better things in the future for the wines from top vineyards.

The wines we tasted (all good):

Roty Gevrey-Fontneys
Maume Mazis-Chambertin
Rouget Echézeaux
Lamarche La Grande Rue
Clavelier Nuits-Cras
Hospices de Beaune (Jeanne-Maries des Champs acquéreur, Méo raised the wine) Corton "Dr. Peste"
Lafarge Volnay Clos des Chênes
Lafarge Volnay Clos du Château des Ducs

Enjoyed Chanson P&F, Beaune-Feves last night. Nice stuff! Initially, was a bin thin and woody, I was thinking perhaps corked, but all that resolved, and the wine filled in nicely, the density and mouthfeel of the fruit was spot on and stood toe-to-toe with the big tannins. Bought this single bottle on online auction, cheap. Glad I did.

my dinner crowd greatly enjoyed bertheau's bonnes mares and jadot's csj last night, altho truth be told the jadot needs more time.

Just opened a Clavelier NSG les cras 98...excellent stuff!

I understand that Pierre-Antoine actually endorsed 57 wines from the vintage, and wouldn't discuss any others.

For what it's worth I had a really good experience from a 1998 Dominique Laurent Gevrey Clos St.Jacques this weekend - almost a double surprise ;o)

Claude Kolm said:
Hell, I can name you more than 50 good wines from Vosne-Romanée alone.

Amen!

But when PAR reviewed the vintage in WA didn't he actually have a list of the only 50 wines that he'd buy from 1998? - that was the impression he left me with, and he seems to be sticking with it...

I always took the standpoint that harsh and astringent as many of the tannins were, at the end of the day they were just tannins that year by year would reduce in significance. I think that's the way they have worked out; today you often get a little rasp but seldom astringency but that's part of the fun of drinking and enjoying many vintages...

Of-course looking at the old drinking windows of WA/RMP; PAR's list probably had some degree of viability in the context of drinking in 2-7 years !

Claude,

Thanks for that, very well summerised. I have these wines from Dujac but only in the 2005 vintage, so i think It'll be 10/15 years before I'll be able to run a similar comparison.

Cheers,
Will

Will -- Just typical of the two vineyards within the style of one given producer: CSD more sensuous and oriental spiced/sandalwood with red fruit; CdlR showed darker fruit, more tightly wound, somewhat more structured. CSD is looking to Vosne, CdlR is looking to Gevrey.

Just bought 2 bottles of Domaine Maume's 1998 Mazis-Chambertin at a great price today.

I know only what I've read of the domaine and nothing of its wines but for a GC at the price paid then well worth a punt. Reckon I'll let them slumber a while yet.

MG

Claude,

Any chance of some notes? Or impressions regarding the differences between CSD & CdlR

Hell, I can name you more than 50 good wines from Vosne-Romanée alone.

Just last night, had some friends over and to teach them about the differences between Clos St-Denis and Clos de la Roche, we had the 1998s from Dujac with dinner. Splendid!

I really doubt the 50 decent wine remark - I probably have had that many that I like and I have not tasted a fraction of what he has. The best 98 I have had is the Rossignol-Trapet Chambertin. Still somewhat young, but I really like the wine. Two other producers that to me have stood out in the vintage (at least what I have tasted) are D'Angerville and Chandon des Briailles (beautiful Corton Bressandes).

chambolle said:
Here in the US the 98s were dumped unceremoniously on the retail market at fire sale prices. Didn't The Emperor Who Has No Nose, or his sidekick, trash the vintage in its entirety?

But we're a broad church aren't we ;o)

Here in the US the 98s were dumped unceremoniously on the retail market at fire sale prices. Didn't The Emperor Who Has No Nose, or his sidekick, trash the vintage in its entirety? I can't quite recall and never would have much cared other than to see it as a golden opportunity. The wines are indeed coming around, I esp. like the Clos des Cortons someone mentioned earlier; the Faiveley '98 Latricieres is a bit lean however. The '98 M. Gros Clos des Reas is definitely very nice too and I've seen it pop up at auction recently -- although someone seemed to want it badly enough to plonk down close to $100 U.S. a bottle for it so I decided I did not need to add to my existing stock all that badly.

Anyone tried the Rousseau 98 lineup of late, esp. the CSJ/CdB/Chamb trio at the top? Probably infanticide?

keith prothero said:
Would you drink De Vogue CM 98 now or wait a little longer?

Would you drink De Vogue CM 98 now or wait a little longer?

Domaine des Perdrix - 1er Aux Perdrix.
I've had 2 of 12 so far (most recent was early this summer), and both were consistent and drinking very well. Perhaps not overly complex, but I'm happy I bought the case. It seems to me, the structure is there for a few more years at least.

+1 on the Michel Gros Clos des Réas, really a classy wine full of finesse. An Amoureuses from Groffier was more disappointing, nothing wrong with the acidity but the fruit tasted slightly jammed and cooked. I have still one bottle of Clos de Tart and one of Anne Gros' Richebourg that I have been contemplating for a long time now and for which I am considering to pull the trigger quite soon...

Had the Clos St. Jacques 1998 from Rousseau last week on saterday evening.
It really was something special truly magnificient it took me 4 hours to empty the bottle in my own this says everything I hope. I bought two bottles from a restaurant owner about 3 weeks ago so I have another one but will leave this one in the cellar for a couple of months probably until somewhere around the end of 2010.

Had the Mugnier 98 Fuees about a year ago. Agree it was big and powerful, really demonstrating Mugnier's masterful results form the vintage. With an hour in decanter this wine showed great spice and elegance. The "Morey" character referenced is probably symptomatic of the wine's power, but I considered the spice and floral character to be classically Chambolle.

I really like where most 98s are now and keep reaching for them when I'm not looking for a wine with significant age, but instead one that's ready yet still vibrant. I've had the Mugnier Fuees several times over the past couple of years, most recently late December where it showed really well against roumier's cras and a lafon champans. I might have slightly preferred the roumier with its marginally more apparent spine but the two both chambolles were really quite spectacular. The volnay might have seemed better had it not been in that company; as it was, it needed more precision.

Checking on cellartracker for other 98s recently consumed: well, last week I pulled a bertheau amourouses to pair with a friend's 96 - both really excellent (bertheau's 96s have never been marred by excess acidity), with my preference for the slightly more animale 96 but the group preferred the 98. I opened a couple bottles of Jadot's CSJ last fall - it's a terrific wine but whereas a couple of bottles opened in winter 2008 and even late last summer were relatively open and showed how great that wine is, a bottle opened last december made me vow to stay away from my couple of remaining bottles. Cathiard's Malconsorts needs more time, as does the Clos des Lambrays.

Mugnier's Fuees was a nice wine, but bigger and darker than I expected. Still with time in hand:

Deep ruby/garnet - some age showing on the narrow paler rim. Very dark toned nose - plummy with a touch of chocolate - but a lovely floral lift. Round ripe and plummy in the mouth, with just s tiny crunch of tannin on the finish. Not great, but a delightful wine. Top ***
24hrs on = has become broader and redder in character, quite meaty and spicy too. Almost Morey character, but with the elegance and floral perfume of a Chambolle. Very plump but fresh - lovely balance. Good acidity and structure, but a touch of coffee on the finish.
Oct 2009

Or the 1998 JF Mugnier Chambolle Musigny les Fuees??????????

Anybody tried the 1998 Roty Charmes-Chambertin Tres Vieilles Vignes??

Thanks guys, interesting thread since I just picked up a couple bottles of Bonneau du Martray Corton 1998. Has anyone ever tried this before? Not sure if I should hold or drink.

My first ever bottle of Burgundy was some half bottles of their 1990 Corton around 2004 and I really enjoyed them at the time.