Robert Parker's Wine Advocate 01/01/1998 After a period of prolonged disjointedness, this wine has pulled itself together. The color is deep straw, and the wine displays an intense perfume of creme brulee custard, baked apple pie, and sweet, ripe pineapples and pears. Full-bodied, rich, alcoholic, and fat, with low acidity and considerable sweetness, this is a luxuriously rich, unctuously-textured, heavyweight Sauternes that should become more civilized with age. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2025. Last tasted 11/97 What fun it is, as I did earlier this year, to taste the great trilogy of Rieussecs - 1990, 1989 and 1998 - together. This seems to be a synthesis in style between the more delicate, elegant, nuanced, almost restrained 1988 and the muscular, blockbuster 1990. This is no wimpish wine, however. The medium deep-gold colour is not quite as intense as the 1990, but certainly darker than the 1988. The big, smoky, earthy nose offers up notes of creme brulee, honeysuckle, ripe pineapples, and other tropical fruits. The wine is quite full bodied, with low acidity, very sweet and luxuriously rich, with a viscous texture and a huge concentrated finish. This wine seems to continue to put on weight and become even more impressive, much like the 1990. Anticipated maturity: now-2025 (93)

Lively, complex, fresh aromas of tropical fruit, honey and spicy oak. Sweet and viscous in the middle palate; kept fresh by apple and pear notes and harmonious acidity. Very concentrated and deep. Very long on the aftertaste; has the sheer material to buffer its alcohol. Rieussec switched to later bottling with this vintage: 30 rather than 24 months after the harvest.

After a period of prolonged disjointedness, this wine has pulled itself together. The color is deep straw, and the wine displays an intense perfume of creme brulee custard, baked apple pie, and sweet, ripe pineapples and pears. Full-bodied, rich, alcoholic, and fat, with low acidity and considerable sweetness, this is a luxuriously rich, unctuously-textured, heavyweight Sauternes that should become more civilized with age. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2025. Last tasted 11/97