1998 Château Larrivet Haut-Brion
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Tasting notes
On opening a chilled bottle : Lovely waxy, honeyed-but-dry-finishing, classic old dry white bordeaux. Edge of ashiness. This is decidedly not for neophytes. You need to have tasted some young, lanolin-scented, sometimes rather oily dry white bordeaux to appreciate how this wine has matured and taken on so much more interest and balance. Well done, FVD, for shining the spotlight on this unique style of wine and for locating such a haunting, mature example of it. A far from truculent teenager.... On tasting from that same bottle, not chilled, a day after opening : The wine has now lost its freshness and the oily, heavy aspect of white Graves is in the ascendant. This just shows how sensitive some wines are to temperature, and how fragile fully mature wines are to air. (JR)
Critic scores
Robert Parker
Jancis Robinson MW
More reviews and scores
Classic scents of smoky tobacco, cigar box, scorched earth, black currants, and cherries are vividly displayed in this wine’s intense aromas. In the mouth, it is medium-bodied, spicy, soft, as well as expressive. This elegant beauty will keep until 2015. Last tasted, 3/02.
About the producer
Known as La Rivette prior to the late 19th century, this property is owned by the Gervoson family (best known for the Bonne Maman brand). They farm 75 hectares, with around seven of those dedicated to white grapes.