Chateau Laville Haut Brion 1998

THE WINE ADVOCATE: "A profound Laville-Haut-Brion, with a light yellow/green/gold color, the 1998 boasts a super bouquet of smoke, herbs, candle wax, passion fruit, honeysuckle, and white peaches. Full-bodied, with an unctuous texture yet zesty acidity for delineation as well as vibrancy, this majestic, multilayered, young, backward 1998 should age for many decades. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2030. Last tasted, 1/03."

WEINWISSER: "Mittleres Gelb. Intensives Bouquet, Karambollenoten, helle, gelbe Früchte, fast ein wenig Chardonnay-Affinität, schöne Frische. Im Gaumen sehr saftig, viel Aromatik, leicht kalkiger Untergrund, sanft dominierende Säure, viel Pep verleihend."

JANCIS ROBINSON: "Tangy and dense and introvert and, most unusually in this line-up, this wine tastes as though it still has quite a bit to give. Smoky and sweet and pungent and exciting. This seems at its ideal stage of evolution cf the 1993. Great, racy stuff."

THE WINE CELLAR INSIDER: "With good concentration of flavor, the wine is loaded with all the vanilla, sweet, ripe, yellow and orange citrus, flowers, herbs and just the right amount of honey on top that you need. Fresh and refreshing, this is drinking quite well today."

WINE SPECTATOR: "Massive and thick, almost too thick. Honey, cream, butterscotch and lemon curd character on the nose and palate. Full and oily, with a thick mouthfeel and lots of overripe fruit. Fat is a word that comes to mind.--'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Drink now."