Ranked #13 of 25 1998 Shiraz from South Australia
93/100
4.5 Stars
Huon Hooke
Dark colour: big roasted nose, cooked fruits, toasty charred oak, savoury; a big ballsy wine that is very warm, very ripe and perhaps not as tight or elegant or fresh as a classic Grange. Fat, broad, rich and ample but lacks tightness and finesse. Second bottle: a bit more vivacity and detail in its flavours. Even better. Now to 20 years.
Tasted: 28/09/2007
Drink: N/A
98 Points Robert Parker
A wine that flirts with perfection, and should rival the 1986 as one of the legendary Granges produced, the 1998 has one of the highest alcohol contents (nearly 15%) as well as one of the highest percentages of Shiraz in the blend (97%). Its stunning purple color is accompanied by exceptionally sweet aromas of blackberry liqueur intermixed with barbecue spices, an endearing, smoky earthiness, pepper, roasted meats, and coffee. Huge, massive, unctuously textured, and extraordinarily youthful, this impressive wine is a candidate for perfection. It should continue to evolve over the next three decades.
Source: Robert Parker (Robert Parker Wine Advocate) by Robert M. Parker, Jr. June, 2009
97 Points James Halliday
Deep purple-red, it oozes blackberry, blackcurrant and licorice from every pore, the palate a sumptuously smooth velvet cushion of small black fruits. It will outlive anyone who can afford to buy it. Drink to 2040.
Source: James Halliday. October, 2003
93 Points The Innocent Dingo
Obviously a class act with an epic finish and fine structure. Unfortunately this seems to be in a dead phase. Please don't drink before 2015. Cellar for at least 10 years
December, 2011
Wine Diamond
Find my in - depth comments, & analysis of this vintage in my review of the 1996 Grange. Without doubt this is an outstading vintage of an iconic wine.The 1998 is the most immediately approachable, & ripe Grange ever relased until the 2001 vintage.
Historically it was the last shiraz-cabernet blend [97%shiraz],& the last John Duval made grange.
Jeremy Oliver awarded 97 pts to the 1998.
Cheers W.D.
March, 2008