Clos l'Eglise Pomerol 1998

97 points James Suckling: "Very fresh and intense with fantastic dark fruit and wet earth. Mushrooms, too. Full-bodied, powerful and extremely long. Such depth and freshness. A great wine. I remember this wine when it was young; it showed so much wood, but it has come together wonderfully. Bravo! Long future. (4/2/18)"

96 points Jeb Dunnuck: "Firing on all cylinders, the 1998 Clos L'Eglise is upfront and sexy, with mature aromas and flavors of blackcurrants, truffle, chocolate, cigar tobacco, and loamy earth. A full-bodied, seamless, and elegant wine, it's not massively concentrated yet has plenty of power and richness, is perfectly balanced, and has great tannins. Along with the 2000, 2009, 2010, and 2016, it's one of the greatest wines in the lineup and is a magical Pomerol. It's fully mature and drinking at point, and while I would enjoy bottles sooner rather than later, it's going to continue evolving gracefully. Drink by 2029. (10/7/20)"

94 points Chris Kissack (Winedoctor): "An evolved hue, but much more pigmented compared to the 1997. It has much more convincing aromatics too, reminiscent of a very perfumed undergrowth, a mix of sous bois and a fragrant peony, violet and rose-petal lift, and like the 1997 it too presents a little seam of black bean. Very nicely textured, showing polish and harmony, substance but with a very integrated structure, and only in the finish does it reveal a little flourish of tannin and acidity. A wine filled with the flavours of black bean, dark cherry, cloves and peppery Asian spices, with a rather plump finish and good length. This is really impressive. From a 2018 Clos L’Église Retrospective tasting. (Jan 2018)"

93 points Robert Parker: "A classic Pomerol, the 1998 boasts a superb, complex bouquet of mocha fudge, vanilla, black cherries, roasted coffee, smoke, and berries. The dazzlingly explosive aromatic display is followed by a creamy-textured, medium to full-bodied, beautifully-layered wine with no hard edges. A supple texture leads to a finish with notes of caramel and spice that lingers for over 40 seconds. This is a gorgeous, complex Pomerol. (Apr 2001)"