1998 Monbousquet Bordeaux Blend - France - Bordeaux - St Emilion - Red

Clear, Deep garnet core with browning rim variation. Clean intense bouquet of wood spice, black currant, bitter chocolate and menthol. Dry, intense palate of black fruit, roasted green pepper, smoke and bitter chocolate. Full Bodied, moderate+ alcohol, lenghty finish and big tannins. This is a monster!...a bit unexpected. Quite a lot going on in this huge St. Emilion...enjoyable...I think probably at its peak/plateau but plenty of tannin and acid to allow for further aging.

Evolving gently. Complex earthy notes with balance and finesse. At peak.

Very enjoyable wine. Good structure with good fruit.

fantastic

drank beautifully this X-mas

Donated to me by Keith Levenberg, simply because he hated the wine and knew it was up my ally (which was extremely gracious of you by the way, I owe you a TBA!). Just about any Bordeaux fan knows what to expect from Gerard Perse and company, but I thought this relatively older vintage of his petit chateau made for particularly interesting research. I found this ?98 to be prettier and more finesse driven than expected, sporting sweet scents of violet, menthol and BBQ smoke in the nose. The palate was undoubtedly sultry and gained in strength as it progressed to the penetrating, wonderfully proportioned finish. Hickory, liquefied currant, roasted peppers and plum sauce echoed for just over 30 seconds. As the night went on, the wine became denser and distinctive chocolate notes emerged. I believe the percentage of Cabernet was high (roughly 30%), ironically giving it a more elegant, finesse driven character. Aging in a lovely fashion.