1998 Domaine Dujac, Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru

The 1998 Clos Saint-Denis Grand Cru performs commendably given that I am not particularly fond of this growing season. The vibrant nose features black currant pastilles and a subtle marine influence; traits of kelp and iodine emerge with time. Very charming, and the whole-bunch addition is extremely well subsumed. The palate is medium-bodied, supple and fleshy, offering a caressing mouthfeel that you might mistake for a 1999. Granted, this 1998 is not as complex or as thrilling as the follow-up, yet it is nicely proportioned, with a discreet bitter edge on the sapid, conservative finish. Bottles can be consumed now but should give another 15 years of drinking pleasure. Tasted at the Clos Saint-Denis vertical at Hide restaurant. 92

Palish cherry-red. Black raspberry, cassis, mocha, underbrush and sweet oak dominate the nose. Harmonious and intensely flavored; a distinctly denser, stonier wine with solid mineral underpinning and tannic spine. Quite long on the back end, which features firm but well-buffered tannins. This is very promising.