Clos du Mont Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape Cuvée du Papet 1998

95 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Wow, what a wine. The 1998 Clos du Mont Olivet Châteauneuf-du-Pape La Cuvée du Papet started out slightly closed but just continued to open up over the evening and offered a spectacular (seriously) nose of kirsch and raspberry liquor, garrigue, leather, spice and earthy notes. Simply stunning and extremely perfumed and complex. The palate is medium to full bodied with sweet fruit, great texture and a balanced, long finish with silky tannins adding length and depth. This isn't a blockbuster but is silky and almost elegant. A killer, traditional styled Chateauneuf that is drinking amazingly well. Outstanding. (7/22/07)"

94 points Stephen Tanzer (International Wine Cellar): "Deep bright red-ruby color. Higher-pitched, more perfumed aromas of dark berries, violet, leather and black pepper. Very dense and firm in the mouth; a wine of impressive structure. Not an especially sweet style of Chateauneuf thanks to its peppery intensity. Will obviously develop very slowly in bottle yet already offers compelling inner-mouth perfume. Very classy and very long on the aftertaste, with notes of gibier and leather. (Jan/Feb 2000)"

94 points Wine Spectator: "Dark and smoky, with bacony toast, cedar, mesquite grilled beef and chestnut notes leading the way for a core of solid currant and plum fruit. Shows some brawn, along with a gamy hint, on the rich, dark fruit-filled finish. Approachable now, but a little more cellaring won't hurt.--1998 Châteauneuf-du-Pape retrospective. Best from 2008 through 2025. 830 cases made. (9/30/07)"