1998 Domaine de la Charbonnière Châteauneuf-du-Pape Les Hautes Brusquieres Cuvée Speciale

The three 1998s were all still drinking great, but as a whole, I find this vintage fully mature today. The 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape les Hautes Brusquières Cuvee Spéciale is still ruby colored and has lots of dark fruits, mint, garrigue and bay leaf as well as good concentration, plenty of fruit and probably more tannin than it should at this stage. While this was a warm year, one of the hallmarks of 1998 was the incredible structure in the wines, and you certainly see that here. Still, this has beautiful fruit and I’ve no doubt it will keep for another 3-4 years. Beyond that, it depends on how the fruit holds.