1998 Hermitage Les Bessards
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Tasting notes
Another sensational wine was the 1998 Hermitage les Bessards, which was poured from magnum. Showing a touch of maturity in its rich, full-bodied and concentrated style, it offers lots of dusty minerality, cured meats, smoked earth and mulled spices to go with a core of currant and cassis-like fruit. Balanced, layered and elegant, yet certainly not lacking in depth or density, it's drinking beautifully today but will hold nicely for another 15-20 years.
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Jeb Dunnuck
More reviews and scores
Bright crimson. Sweet and gentle on the palate. Much more evolved than the Marquise de la Tourette. Savoury and meaty, but less aggressive tannins. A relatively elegant style of Hermitage. Not unlike Chave’s. [tasted may 04, not blind] (JR)
The 1998 Hermitage Les Bessards reveals licorice, coffee, cassis, minerals, smoke, and meat scents, full body, great depth, teeth-coating tannin, and a persistent, sweet, well-delineated, 45-second finish. It will be at its peak between 2007-2035. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate # 133.