Are there Lefties that are as good as Righties in 1998?

[Ramon_NYC]

Well, here's another good performer from the Left bank.

1998 Ch. Malescot St . Exupery, Margaux
What an expressive bouquet! Flowery and earthy. Primary at the beginning, but just opened up enough during the course of the dinner. Big, savory, good level of ripeness and intensity. All in a nice balance. For current drinking, should decant in advance. B+

[Houndsong]

That's been my experience excepting Pontet Canet. Nice structued wines that probably will exceed expectations even if they're not generally as "good" as their right bank bretheren and sisteren.

[JScott]

Lafite and Haut Brion!

[stefan]

No, not if you stay within the same price equivalence class. But there are many very good left bankers.

[JimHow]

1998 Ducru is good, not great.
the three greatest vintages since 1961 have been (not necessarily in order) 1996L, 1998R, 2000L&R.

[stefan]

Jim, IMO nothing after 1961 has surpassed 1982 even if those you mentioned are all excellent.

[JimHow]

Ok ok maybe I'll grant a BD exception for '82.

[Blanquito]

Those 86L were pretty epic in NYC tasted back in 2008, too.

[Claudius2]

Just to add my two cents.

Best LB vintages since 1961 based on my perosnal experiences are IN NO ORDER:
1970 (but not uniformly) 1982, 1986, 1989, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2005, 2009 (no datas point personally on 2010).
Honourable mentions to 66, 85, 83 (in Margaux and Graves/Pessac), 88, 01, 02, 06.

For the right bank, I'd say 1982, 1985, 89, 90, 98, 00, 05 and 09.
Honourable mentions to 66, 70, 75, 83 (though uneven), 88, 95, 01, 04, 06 and 08.

1998 was quite good in Margaux and better in Graves/Pessac, and some wines from that vintage were outstanding.

[Comte Flaneur]

I agree with Mark, but I would elevate 1985 and 1995 to ranking among the best left bank vintages. Of course 2009 is clearly the greatest ever vintage on either bank for at least the last 4,000 years.

Apart from Graves/Pessac - do they qualify as LBs? - the best '98 left banks I have tried are Mouton, Lafite, Palmer in that order...though Lafite is shut tight now. Like the right banks the 98 left banks are very much a work in progress IMHO.

[Houndsong]

First BWE'r to Hale Ka we open a 1998 Latour. I understand it's not in the pantheon of the great Grand Vins but the CTers seem to be liking it recently.

[DavidG]

Is Hale Ka on Kaui near Hanalei? Thought you were moving to Oahu...

We'll be staying on the Kona Coast for a week in January. Might have to schedule an island-hopper flight for a mini-BWE Hawaii event. Wonder if we can entice William P over?

My Latour was all sent off to auction when the prices got silly. But I'm sure I've got something worthy to contribute.

[Ramon_NYC]

My Latour was all sent off to auction when the prices got silly. But I'm sure I've got something worthy to contribute.

Looks like you got rid of what you "want" (well done!). Looks like you got what you "need" with the proceeds.

[Ramon_NYC]

Lafite and Haut Brion!

Just like Coke, 1998 Haut Brion is the real thing.
Haven't had the 98 Lafite, but if you and Comte vouch for it, then it must be good.

Adding both 1998 Leovile Barton and Ducru Beaucaillou to the honorable Bordeaux southpaws that I've been pleased with.

I've had the 1998 Leoville Poyferre once at release, was un-impressed, and decided not to chase any.

[Houndsong]

Hale Ka = Hale KA = K(athy) & A(rthur)'s House.

It actually works on a couple of levels since ka = the, as in The House. I think ka also = canoe or container so those are all good too.

The Ka part was easy, Now all we need to do is find the Hale.

There is no need to contribute anything. Depending on what we can get in the car I may check a couple more cases for the flight. Maybe it wil be the Island 48. Save it for the Pan-Pacific BWE Convention.

[DavidG]

Ramon: true on both counts! Want vs need re Latour, and the '98 Haut Brion is the real thing! Had one just a few weeks ago and while it will get even better with a few more years in the cellar, it is an awesome wine - better than RP's rating.

Art - We'll be in touch when the trip gets closer and we both know what our schedules are like - and where Hale Ka is.

[Claudius2]

Comte
I was going to include 95 in the list of honourable mentions but I have been rather disappointed by the development of right bank 1995s.
Yes it is a good vintage overall, but I just have not found the wines to be outstanding.
I think it was over-hyped after three poor vintages (91, 92, 93) and then an average vintage (94) and there was the obvious commerical imperative here. Parker talked it up though when you read his notes now, the scores are not nearly as inflated as they have been for most vintages in the 00's even the vintages not talked as as greatest ever.

having said, that 95 is a good vintage but I'd rate the right bank as better though not outstanding.

I have also not included some 60s vintages that were at one time or another well regarded like 62, 64, 67.
I simply don;t have enough data points personally to make any sense of the vintage.

[Claret]

but I have been rather disappointed by the development of right bank 1995s.

Yes it is a good vintage overall, but I just have not found the wines to be outstanding.
I think it was over-hyped after three poor vintages (91, 92, 93) and then an average vintage (94).

Claudius I find the 1995 RB wines to be further along in their development as compared to the LB. Certainly the tannins are smoother and the fruit is more secondarily developed.

I know you are not a big fan of 94. The wines are continuing to soften and develop and continue to provide me with pleasure. I wish I had some 1994 Pomerols as they are the star region in 94.

The early bottled tannins would never be called sweet by Parker unlike today’s round textured wines with earlier drinkability. Some wines were clearly tannin laden and out of balance. It was a vintage that needed to be tasted before purchasing.

A friend is visiting me this weekend and we are going to share a bottle of 1994 Leoville Barton. The couple of times I had it before it was coming along nicely. The vintage was well priced in the US on futures and I paid less than $30 for the bottle. The retailer who did the release tasting proclaimed "this is gonna be the last well priced vintage for a while." Carl was right.

This vintage has needed time in the bottle and the best wines from 1994 are starting to speak for themselves.

[JimHow]

I wonder when I should drink my lone bottle of 1995 Petrus?

[Claudius2]

Comte
Should have said LEFT not right bank in the first line.
maybe it is being a left hander....

Claret
I agree.
Even recent expereinces with LB wines (eg Pichon B, Lagrange, Montrose, LB etc) suggest that it a slow developing vintage.
I think it is somewhat like 88 but I thought 88 was actually a better vintage to drink young (and marginally better overall).
yet 95 does not appeal to my palate as much as the vintages I mentioned. probably does deserve an honourable mention though.

Regarding 94, it is an okay vintage though many wines from this vintage are a bit coarse with under-ripe tannins.
I do agree some have developed well.
I reported 2 yrs ago on the 94 Lagrange (St Julien).
I drank the case over a decade, and the last bottle (2 yrs after the previous one) was a' point.
Could not believe how it had come together at about 15 yrs of age. And kicked myself for drinking the previous 11 bottles young.
Yet some 94s were dry and a bit hard, and just lacked excitement. They need food to show their wares.

[Houndsong]

I had a 94 Lagrange (St. Julien) the other night. It was excellent. I checked later on CT for the buzz and most who've tasted it lately concur if I recall correctly. Funny how that is I got four or six bottles for I think the mid $20s on off winebid last spring.

[Harry C.]

A VERY general rule of thumb is that Graves (Pessac, etc) acts more Right Bank in most vintages. So I would expect in 1998 the Graves did well. My memory fails on exact personal examples.

[Claudius2]

Harry
Pape Cement tried twice last few years was excellent, Domaine Chevalier very good.
have tried LMHB young (excellent) but not recentiy.

[DavidG]

I wonder when I should drink my lone bottle of 1995 Petrus?

The 2020 BWE Convention, of course!