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Wine of the Week: 1998 Cabernet

Ten-year Cab-Bordeaux Red Blend Retrospective


Published: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 4:20 a.m.
Last Modified: Wednesday, September 24, 2008 at 10:39 a.m.

Wine writer Peg Melnik recently had a blind tasting of 14 cabernets and Bordeaux red blends from 1998, a year troubled by El Nino weather. The retrospective has been a PD tradition for nearly 15 years. Uncorking wines at their 10-year mark is when the great ones are expected to be at their best.


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OUT TOP PICK

Shafer Hillside Select, 1998 Stags Leap, Napa Valley

**** ½ Complex, rich and balanced. Notes of blackberry, espresso and spice. Has a nice earthiness. Firm tannins.

THE RUNNERS-UP

Second Place:

Hess Collection,1998 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon **** ½

Complex, with firm tannins. Aromas and flavors of cherry, black cherry, anise and cocoa. Juicy. Lingering finish.

Third Place:

Joseph Phelps Insignia,1998 Napa Valley ****

A muscular cab with good concentration. Big tannins. Big fruit. Great integration. Notes of cedar, toast and vanilla.

Fourth Place:

Trefethen Reserve, 1998 Napa Valley ****

A cab with great structure. It has firm tannins, but it's also juicy with rich fruit flavors of black cherry, cassis and plum. Long finish.

Fifth Place:

Freemark Abbey, 1998 Sycamore Vineyards, Napa Valley ****

A concentrated cab with juicy flavors of cherry, black cherry and cassis. Notes of herbs and spice. Balanced.

Sixth Place:

Frog's Leap, 1998 Rutherford ****

A very appealing cab with striking cherry and currant flavors. Balanced. Dry finish.

Seventh Place:

Freemark Abbey, 1998 Bosche Estate, Napa Valley ****

A juicy cab with notes of black cherry, plum, anise and pepper. Well-integrated.

Eight Place:

Burgess Cellars, 1998 Napa Valley *** ½

A complex cab with aromas and flavors of cherry, cassis, plum, cedar and anise. Good concentration of fruit.

Ninth Place:

Grgich Hills, 1998 Napa Valley *** ½

A juicy cab with appealing flavors of cherry, black cherry, plum and smoke. Long finish.

Tenth Place:

Robert Mondavi Reserve, 1998 Napa Valley ***½

A cab with great structure that also manages to be juicy. Slightly herbal, with notes of leather and spice.

OTHERS TASTED

*** -- Husch, 1998 North Field Select, Mendocino; Matrix, 1998 Mazzocco, Dry Creek Valley; Mosaic 1998 Alexander Valley Meritage; Pedroncelli, 1998 Dry Creek Valley, Sonoma County; Sterling Vineyards, 1998 Napa Valley Reserve.

** ½ -- Laurel Glen, 1998 Sonoma Mountain.

** -- A. Rafanelli, 1998 Terrace Select, Dry Creek Valley; BR Cohn, 1998 Olive Hill Estate Vineyards, Sonoma Valley; Heitz Cellars, 1998 Napa Valley; Joseph Phelps, 1998 Napa Valley; Kenwood, 1998 Sonoma Valley.

Three contenders were corked and pulled from the tasting.OUR TOP PICK

Shafer Hillside Select

1998 Stags Leap, Napa Valley


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