I was lucky to track this down at the very last minute before it was needed for a tasting (from a wine shop in St Emilion) because bottles of this vintage are now like gold dust. It is in the perfect drinking window, and is just a wonderful example of a year that was particularly kind to the best Pomerol estates. Full-on black truffles and smoked earth, fragrant cigar box and turmeric spices, atumnal brambled fruits and melted tannins that are finely-honed yet still muscular, showcasing the tightrope that L'Eglise Clinet so often manages to walk. Winemaker Denis Durantou in full brilliant flow. Jane Anson March 2021 - Inside Bordeaux

This is the most sublime example of the 1998 l’Eglise-Clinet of many that I have tasted. The 1998 is a Pomerol that, after 23-years, has reached its zenith. It has a simply gorgeous bouquet of ebullient red fruit, black truffle, cedar and pressed rose petals, with exquisite delineation and harmony. That, follows through on the palate that has a fine bead of acidity, perfect balance, brilliant poise and ethereal purity. Whereas previous bottles have been tight and required longer cellaring, this indicates that Denis Durantou’s brilliant Pomerol is reaching its drinking plateau. March 2022

Aromas of dark chocolate and blackberry, with hints of black olives. Full-bodied, with chewy, polished tannins and loads of ripe fruit, tapenade and flowers. A complex and complete wine. Still needs time. One of the best ever from here.—'88/'98 Bordeaux blind retrospective (2008).

Still young, tannic and slightly muscular, the wine has character, complexity, opulence, balance and freshness. I would like to see a bit more of a velvet edge to the texture, but this is turning out to be a very good wine that should offer pleasure for at least another 25-30 years. July 2019

Saturated purple-ruby to the rim. Compelling, multidimensional aromas of black raspberry, dark chocolate and toffee. Distinct jammy, port-like notes complemented by a metholated aspect. Liqueur-like in its ripeness yet amazingly vibrant. Incredibly sappy and almost confectionery in its sweetness; almost too big for the mouth. Crystallized berry flavors complemented by torrefaction notes of roast coffee and grilled almond. Finishes with huge, very sweet, toothfurring tannins and explosive fruit.

Saturated dark ruby. Slightly reduced aromas of sappy berries, minerals and orange peel. Extremely dense in the mouth, with compellingly sweet, powerful flavors of raspberry, minerals and espresso. A rare combination of great breadth and verve. Still a bit withdrawn today from the bottling. But this extract-rich wine should be spectacular in seven or eight years and be very long-lived. May 2001

Drink 2008-2035
-Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide No 7

This wine has been so impressive over the last decade that it can now be said to rival Petrus. This effort should turn out to be one of the longest-lived Pomerols of the vintage. It is backward, and has closed down since bottling, but make no mistake about it ... this is a dazzling, serious vin de garde. An opaque purple color is followed by a restrained but promising bouquet of sweet black raspberries intermixed with vanillin, caramel, and minerals. The wine is full-bodied, powerfully tannic, beautifully textured, and crammed with extract (an assortment of black fruits). While it is bursting at the seams, purchasers will need to wait a minimum of 7-8 years. Anticipated maturity: 2008-2035.

In bottle. Dark crimson. Much much fresher on the nose than the magnum opened earlier. Direct and rich with real energy. Still with lots of tannins as well as the mix of ripe fruit and char. Great length and vitality. Chocolate and raciness. Still lots of potential. Still energetic tannins on the end. Fireworks. (JR)