1998

Anne’s Comments

We have successfully pursued our work in organic farming.

The harvest started the 21st of September with a beautiful weather along all the picking. We were very selective in sorting out to eliminate the dry berries from the warmth in July and the rot caused by rains in beginning of September.

Grapes were rich in sugar and gave to the wines concentration, balance and Pinot Noir’s typical fruit. Spicy and fruity aromas seduce us already on their youngth however the acidity of the wines will promise a nice ageing.

 On vintage 1998 it is our first production of Bourgogne Blanc Chardonnay. A round wine with citrus, vanilla, hazelnut and white flowers aromas. We recommend it as aperitive or matching with grilled fishes or in sauces.

journalists’ Comments

Bourgogne Blanc 1998 :

The Vine – Clive Coates – Février 2000 : Stylish and gently oaky. Lovely balanced fruit. Very good. From 2001.

Tastings – 2000 : Medium straw hue. Attractive aromas of butter, spice, and yeast. Juicy apple flavors on the attack with a medium body and a soft, oak-spiced finish. Very forward and ready for drinking. 87.

Bourgogne Rouge 1998 :

Tastings – 1999 : 80 – 84 Tastings – 2000 : 87

The Vine – Clive Coates – Février 2000 : Ready for bottling, en masse. SO2 adjusted. It seems plump. Stylish and balanced. From 2002.

Chambolle-Musigny-La Combe d’Orveau 1998 :

Tastings – 1999 : Bright cherry red with purple highlights. Generous flower, herb, and mineral aromas. A lean entry leads to a medium bodied palate with crisp tannins. Lighter in style with a sense of delicacy buttressed by a taut structure. Drink now or later. 85-89

Tastings – 2000 : Bright ruby hue. Perfumed red fruit aromas. Crisp and brightly-fruited upfront with a medium body and fresh fruit flavors vying with light tannins on the finish. This is approachable but should cellar a few years. 86.

The Vine – Clive Coates – Février 2000 : Very elegant and poised. Lovely fruit. Balanced and complex. Very good indeed for a village example. From 2004

Wine Spectator : Tough and not as ripe as some ’98 Chambolles. Straightforward, with muted fruit. A bit sour on the finish.

Vosne-Romanée 1998 :

The Vine – Clive Coates – Février 2000 : Concentrated and intense and splendidly poised. Really classy. This is very lovely, especially for a village example. Very fine for what it is. From 2004/2005.

Tastings – 1999 : Brillant pale purple hue. Restrained mineral and berry aromas. A firm entry leads to a medium bodied palate with lean tannins. Quite closed at present with a firm structure. Will need time to open. Midterm cellar candidate (3-6 years). 85-89

Tastings – 2000 : Bright-violet hue. Intense, deeply-fruited aromas. Rich and darkly-fruited on the attack with a moderately full body and an underlying minerality. Finishes with firm tannins. This has the stuffing and balance to improve with cellaring. 91.

Wine Spectator : Ripe blackberry and plum notes makes this an attractive red. Firms up on the palate with a good dose of acidity. Medium-bodied, it could use some cellaring. Best from 2002 through 2006.

Vosne Romanée 1998 : par “Vin et Brennevin”

“Bright ruby. Red berries, floral, detailed, elegant, nuanced, scented nose. Fresh acidity, ripe tannins, bright, fresh, detailed and elegant, seductive and utterly charming, nuanced and playful, long.” note : 92

Clos Vougeot

Wine Spectator : A pretty ’98 with seductive red berry and blackberry aromas. Succulent at midpalate, this medium-bodied, firm Pinot is no thick blockbuster but turns racy and elegant on the juicy, spicy finish. Best from 2002 through 2010.

The Vine – Clive Coates – Février 2000 : Quite reserved on the nose. Firm. Very concentrated. Masculine. Backward. Splendid concentration, indeed power on the palate. Marvellous fruit. Gently oaky. Real grip and intensity. Very fine. From 2007.

Tastings – 1999 : Brillant purple hue. Restrained mineral, red fruit, and vanilla aromas. A lush entry leads to a moderately full bodied palate with supple tannins. Show richness throughout with a sense of depth. Powerful but restrained. Will need time to blossom. Long-term cellar. 90-95

Tastings – 2000 : Bright violet hue. Floral, oaky aromas. Firm and lean on the attack with a medium body and a firm, oak-accented finish. This seems tough and ungenerous now. It may improve with time though it is unlikely to ever be magnificent. 88

Burghound, 2001 : Clos de Vougeot : Soaring nose of blackberry fruit and intense, austere earthy pinot flavors with impressive sève and stunning complexity. The length here is phenomenal. If there is a niggle, it’s that the toasty oak is quite prominent but there is plenty of material that should be able to absorb it over time. A classy effort.

Clive Coates  Février 2012 : medium colour. Soft, fully mature nose. Medium body. No great weight or vigour here but fresh and pleasantly fruity. I’va had more complex and more concentrated 1998s.

Richebourg

The vine – Clive Coates – juin 2004 : Very good colour. Just a suggestion of brown. Fullish nose. Rich, exotic and spicy. A touch of caramel and mocha at present. Cedary flavours as it developed. Fullish body. Some tannin. Very good acidity. Nice ripe, cool fruit on the palate. Plenty of substance and depth. It needs to be kept while the tannins soften up. Very fine. 2010-2030. 18.5

The Vine – Clive Coates – Février 2000 : Marvellous depth and harmony, power and distinction. Great fruit. Impeccably balanced and intense. I can’t fault this. Indisputably great. From 2009.

The Vine – Clive Coates – N° 198 – Juillet 2001 : Fine colour. Sumptuous nose: rich, fat, concentrated, oaky and very lovely. An intense wine. Full bodied and full flavoured. Full, firm and youthful. Quite tannic. Excellent grip. This is very promising. Vigorous and powerful. Very, very long. Excellent. 19,5

Tastings – 1999 : Brillant dark purple hue. Deep mineral and red fruit aromas are brooding and subdued. A powerful entry leads to a moderately full bodied palate with firm tannins. Finely structured and rich, but not showing much at present. Shows all the signs of developing well. Long-term cellar. 90-95

Tastings – 2000 : Dark red-violet hue. Exciting minerality with dark fruits and toasty vanillin. Powerful and strongly-flavored on the attack with a moderatly full body and a flavorful, grippy finish. This has cellaring structure and enough fruit to last. 94.

Wine Spectator : Balanced and silky, with a delicious red berry character. Medium-bodied, clean and fresh, it also tastes ripe, with little oak to distract from the pure fruit and wet earth notes on the lingering finish. Drink now through 2005.

Burghound, 2001 : Richebourg: Everything one could want from a young burgundy with its peacock’s tail of spicy fruit, remarkably intense flavors, firm yet velvety tannins and staggering length. The wine simply exudes class.

Clive Coates  Février 2012 : medium-full vigorous color. This has more to it than the Clos Vougeot. Ripe, energetic, complex and stylish. Finishes positively. But fine rather than great.

VINTAGES