×

Chateau Cheval Blanc Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1998 750ml

size
750ml
country
France
region
Bordeaux
appellation
Saint Emilion
DC
100
WA
100
JD
100
WS
98
JS
96
VM
95
DC
100
Rated 100 by Decanter
The reference chateau of the vintage, this wine is showing its class here and then some. It was the first year with Bernard Arnault and Albert Frère as owners, with Pierre Lurton coming onboard from his former role at Clos Fourtet. 10% press wine was used, whereas today they use no press wine in the grand vin. It was aged in 100% new oak. The 36ha of vines yielded 32hl/ha, closer to their average than the relatively abundant 1989). The holdings have since expanded to 39ha with the addition of 3ha from Tour du Pin Figeac. 67% of production went in to the grand vin, the rest into Petit Cheval. This is seductive and rich but with a purity and precision. There's more Merlot in the blend than is typical because the clay soils produced the best quality grapes, and you can see its impact in the textural density - the proximity to Pomerol comes through. Drinking Window 2019 - 2036. ... More details
Image of bottle
Sample image only. Please see Item description for product Information. When ordering the item shipped will match the product listing if there are any discrepancies. Do not order solely on the label if you feel it does not match product description

Chateau Cheval Blanc Saint Emilion Grand Cru 1998 750ml

SKU 894037
Case Only Purchase
Long-term Pre-Arrival
$15475.56
/case
$1289.63
/750ml bottle
Quantity
min order 12 bottles
* This is a Long-term Pre-arrival item and is available for online ordering only. This item will ship on a future date after a 4-8 months transfer time. For additional details about Pre-arrival Items please visit our FAQ page.
Professional Ratings
DC
100
WA
100
JD
100
WS
98
JS
96
VM
95
DC
100
Rated 100 by Decanter
The reference chateau of the vintage, this wine is showing its class here and then some. It was the first year with Bernard Arnault and Albert Frère as owners, with Pierre Lurton coming onboard from his former role at Clos Fourtet. 10% press wine was used, whereas today they use no press wine in the grand vin. It was aged in 100% new oak. The 36ha of vines yielded 32hl/ha, closer to their average than the relatively abundant 1989). The holdings have since expanded to 39ha with the addition of 3ha from Tour du Pin Figeac. 67% of production went in to the grand vin, the rest into Petit Cheval. This is seductive and rich but with a purity and precision. There's more Merlot in the blend than is typical because the clay soils produced the best quality grapes, and you can see its impact in the textural density - the proximity to Pomerol comes through. Drinking Window 2019 - 2036.
WA
100
Rated 100 by Wine Advocate
The 1998 Cheval Blanc, a blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Cabernet Franc, is deep garnet-brick in color and absolutely explodes with scents of exotic spices, incense, dried roses, cigar box and licorice, with a core of crème de cassis and dried cherries plus touches of black tea and dusty earth. Medium to full-bodied, it fills the mouth with rich, plushly textured fruit and then POW—it hits the mid-palate with an explosion of Chinese five spice and floral perfume sparks, leading to an epically long finish. This cannot fail to impress and can easily cellar for another 30 years or more.
JD
100
Rated 100 by Jeb Dunnuck
Another perfect wine is the 1998 Chateau Cheval Blanc, which is the usual blend of 55/45 Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Possessing an utterly captivating bouquet of sweet red and black fruits, forest floor, spice and dried flowers, it packs plenty of muscle and depth on the palate, yet is also expansive, elegant and seamless, with no hard edges. Just singing, with everything you could want; complexity, richness, elegance, depth, and length, drink this sensational beauty any time over the coming two decades. I’m sure it will keep longer, but why in the world would you wait.
WS
98
Rated 98 by Wine Spectator
#2 in Top 100: 2001. Aromas of blueberry, sweet tobacco, leather and pipe tobacco turning to raisins and Christmas cake. What a wine. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a very well-integrated palate. Dark color. A big and powerful wine still. Blockbuster. Massive. Just a baby.—'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008). Best after 2013. 8,330 cases made, 1,600 cases imported.
JS
96
Rated 96 by James Suckling
Aromas of rose petal and hints of fresh herbs such currant leaf. Tobacco, too. Medium body, very fine tannins and a balanced fruit. Extremely refined and polished. A beautiful harmony. So lovely now.
VM
95
Rated 95 by Vinous Media
The 1998 Cheval Blanc has been a lauded wine ever since release. I have often, quite controversially felt that it never quite matched its startling performances in its first ten years, though it remains and excellent wine. Now at 20-years old it offers opulent, high-toned scents of maraschino cherry, iodine, crème de cassis, dried blood and a subtle, almost Provençal herb-like scent courtesy of the Cabernet Franc. The palate is medium-bodied with fine grip, showy compared to other vintages of Cheval Blanc with sappy red fruit and a fine structured that lends this 1998 focus. Perhaps this bottle did not quite deliver the intensity on the finish that I was expecting, "jogging" instead of "sprinting" over the finish line. That said, it is a very impressive wine, even if personally I would not put it amongst the very best wines that Pierre Lurton has overseen. Tasted at Cheval Blanc.
Product Details
size
750ml
country
France
region
Bordeaux
appellation
Saint Emilion
Overview
The reference chateau of the vintage, this wine is showing its class here and then some. It was the first year with Bernard Arnault and Albert Frère as owners, with Pierre Lurton coming onboard from his former role at Clos Fourtet. 10% press wine was used, whereas today they use no press wine in the grand vin. It was aged in 100% new oak. The 36ha of vines yielded 32hl/ha, closer to their average than the relatively abundant 1989). The holdings have since expanded to 39ha with the addition of 3ha from Tour du Pin Figeac. 67% of production went in to the grand vin, the rest into Petit Cheval. This is seductive and rich but with a purity and precision. There's more Merlot in the blend than is typical because the clay soils produced the best quality grapes, and you can see its impact in the textural density - the proximity to Pomerol comes through. Drinking Window 2019 - 2036.
green grapes

Varietal: Red Bordeaux

Bordeaux red wines are widely regarded as being the finest red wines produced anywhere in the world, regularly topping awards lists and generally being amongst the most sought after and collectable bottles available. The secret to their success and their particularly memorable and refined characteristics is the fact that Bordeaux red wines are made from a blend of grape varietals, most commonly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, helped by a touch of Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc. The other two key Bordeaux grape varietals which are also used in the blend of many of these excellent wines are Malbec and Carménere, although it is becoming less common to see these in use today. The art of blending primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varietals is something which has been much imitated around the world, as it produces a wonderfully balanced, rounded yet massively complex and flavorful wine, ideal for oak aging The acid and tannin levels in each of these grape varietals is balanced and tempered by the blend, and generations of expertise has gone into the careful selection and cultivation of such quality grapes.
barrel

Region: Bordeaux

The Bordeaux region of France is possibly the most famous and widely respected wine region in the world. Known primarily for its exceptional blended red wines, made most commonly with Cabernet Sauvigon, Merlot and Petit Verdot grape varietals, it also produces superb dry white wines (both blended and single variety), alongside the highly esteemed sweet wines of Sauternes. All of these wine types use a careful mix of traditional wine-making methods alongside modern techniques, as well as more experimental and unorthodox practices such as turning their grapes over to the noble rot which intensifies the flavors in the sweet wines. Bordeaux benefits greatly from its position amongst wide river basins, and the cooling Atlantic breezes which blow across the rolling vineyards which cover this region.
fields

Country: France

France is renowned across the globe for its quality wines and the careful expertise which goes into making them, but what is truly remarkable about this relatively small country is the vast range of wines it produces in such huge amounts each year. Not only are the finest red wines in the world said to come from the beautiful regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but elsewhere in the country we find the Champagne region, and areas such as the Rhone Valley and the Loire, whose white wines consistently receive awards and accolades by the plenty. This range is a result of the great variety of climatic conditions and terrain found in France, coupled with generations of wine makers working within single appellations. Their knowledge of specific terroirs and grape varieties has, over time, perfected the production of wines within their region, and the end results continue to impress the world to this day.
bottle and glass

Appellation: Saint Emilion

Saint Emilion is a very special sub-region found in France's Bordeaux, and is situated on the highly esteemed and world renowned right bank of the Gironde river. Here, the mineral rich gravel and clay based soils provide plenty of nutrition and character to the grape varietals which are grown, and the warm and sunny climate helps them ripen each year to their fullest. The majority of the chateaus in Saint Emilion produce blended red wines, using a carefully balanced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. The result is something truly wonderful – finely crafted red wines which express all of the finest points of each varietal, and holding plenty of fascinating and complex character, flavors and aromas which have helped make this sub-region one of the best in the world.
Customer Reviews
Customer Reviews

There have been no reviews for this product.

More wines available from Chateau Cheval Blanc
Long-term Pre-Arrival
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $659.53
Long-term Pre-Arrival
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $777.55
The 1985 Cheval Blanc has always been one of the picks of the vintage for what was a fecund decade for the...
WA
95
VM
95
Long-term Pre-Arrival
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $864.79
Berry, cherry and chocolate on the nose, with hints of spices. Full-bodied, with chewy tannins and a spicy, cedary,...
WS
93
VM
92
Long-term Pre-Arrival
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $1729.67
The standout wine of the entire tasting. Powerful, smooth, mouthfilling sweetness, still deeply coloured. You will...
DC
100
WA
98
Long-term Pre-Arrival
750ml - 1 Bottle
Bottle: $589.95
Good full ruby-red. Knockout, complex nose offers vibrant aromas of raspberry, sour red cherry, strawberry, licorice...
VM
91
More Details
green grapes

Varietal: Red Bordeaux

Bordeaux red wines are widely regarded as being the finest red wines produced anywhere in the world, regularly topping awards lists and generally being amongst the most sought after and collectable bottles available. The secret to their success and their particularly memorable and refined characteristics is the fact that Bordeaux red wines are made from a blend of grape varietals, most commonly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes, helped by a touch of Petit Verdot or Cabernet Franc. The other two key Bordeaux grape varietals which are also used in the blend of many of these excellent wines are Malbec and Carménere, although it is becoming less common to see these in use today. The art of blending primarily Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grape varietals is something which has been much imitated around the world, as it produces a wonderfully balanced, rounded yet massively complex and flavorful wine, ideal for oak aging The acid and tannin levels in each of these grape varietals is balanced and tempered by the blend, and generations of expertise has gone into the careful selection and cultivation of such quality grapes.
barrel

Region: Bordeaux

The Bordeaux region of France is possibly the most famous and widely respected wine region in the world. Known primarily for its exceptional blended red wines, made most commonly with Cabernet Sauvigon, Merlot and Petit Verdot grape varietals, it also produces superb dry white wines (both blended and single variety), alongside the highly esteemed sweet wines of Sauternes. All of these wine types use a careful mix of traditional wine-making methods alongside modern techniques, as well as more experimental and unorthodox practices such as turning their grapes over to the noble rot which intensifies the flavors in the sweet wines. Bordeaux benefits greatly from its position amongst wide river basins, and the cooling Atlantic breezes which blow across the rolling vineyards which cover this region.
fields

Country: France

France is renowned across the globe for its quality wines and the careful expertise which goes into making them, but what is truly remarkable about this relatively small country is the vast range of wines it produces in such huge amounts each year. Not only are the finest red wines in the world said to come from the beautiful regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy, but elsewhere in the country we find the Champagne region, and areas such as the Rhone Valley and the Loire, whose white wines consistently receive awards and accolades by the plenty. This range is a result of the great variety of climatic conditions and terrain found in France, coupled with generations of wine makers working within single appellations. Their knowledge of specific terroirs and grape varieties has, over time, perfected the production of wines within their region, and the end results continue to impress the world to this day.
bottle and glass

Appellation: Saint Emilion

Saint Emilion is a very special sub-region found in France's Bordeaux, and is situated on the highly esteemed and world renowned right bank of the Gironde river. Here, the mineral rich gravel and clay based soils provide plenty of nutrition and character to the grape varietals which are grown, and the warm and sunny climate helps them ripen each year to their fullest. The majority of the chateaus in Saint Emilion produce blended red wines, using a carefully balanced blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes. The result is something truly wonderful – finely crafted red wines which express all of the finest points of each varietal, and holding plenty of fascinating and complex character, flavors and aromas which have helped make this sub-region one of the best in the world.