Chateau Sociando-Mallet (Médoc) 1998: A lovely, aromatic nose here, showing some fine, iron-tinged fruit. This is evolving wonderfully. A delicious palate, showing a lovely texture and plenty of clean, sweet black fruit. Underneath there is a ripe structure, fresh acids too. This is not particularly rich, rather it is pretty and balanced, with appropriate substance behind it. An excellent effort for the vintage. Very good indeed. 17+/20

Chateau Lafon-Rochet (St Estèphe) 1998: From half bottles. Nice colour, and an interesting nose; a slightly burnt character, a little edge of green, but with some nice slightly toffee-toned fruit. Mature, slightly treacly character. Savoury blackcurrant fruit and black olives as well. It has a lovely full character, full and complete, with good substance. It has lots of grip, is dry but textured, and possesses a tannic and grippy finish. There is a little length too. This is good. 16.5/20

Chateau Haut-Batailley (Pauillac) 1998: From half bottles. This has a vibrant hue still, very attractive, dark but not advanced in its maturity. A complex nose is apparent, with little wisps of sweetly baked fruit, then burnt raspberry, later a violet perfume which is momentarily intoxicating. Behind it all, a seam of green peppercorn to which some - but not me - may have an adverse reaction. A lovely freshness follows on the palate which possesses a lean minerality behind some rounded fruit. It has good flesh and substance, and a good grip of charcoal-edged tannin. There is some acidity behind it all, beneath the leafy fruit and peppercorns again. A short finish. It drinks well, perhaps in a rather simple and foursquare fashion, but it has appeal. 16.5+/20

Chateau Lagrange (St Julien) 1998: I find attractive aromas on the nose here, which has a good presence of rounded fruit lifted by notes of liquorice and spicy complexity. It shows freshness and light rather than intensity. At the start it is light, and maintains a rather lean presence on the palate throughout, showing in quite a firm fashion without a great deal of rich concentration. Today it seems to be showing more structure than flavour or aroma, and it is a little less well composed in the mouth. I have enjoyed previous bottles of this wine more than this one. Nevertheless there are good qualities here which are evident on tasting. A good effort for a lesser vintage. 16.5+/20

Chateau Plaisance (St Emilion) 1998: The first bottle was corked, so a replacement was quickly pulled. This hasn't faded much over the years; it still has an appealing presence of pigment, not the opaque quality of youth, but plenty of colour which has a matt, not mature hue. The nose has a deep, earthy character, with aromas of truffle oil and tree bark. A really attractive, very cool quality on the palate, showing texture, extract and grip all in moderation and balance, with quite some grip to the fore at the finish. Still showing lots of peppery raspberry and plum fruit. This has continued potential for the cellar and for the future. 17+/20

Chateau Grand Corbin-Despagne (St Emilion) 1998: Lovely crisp and explosive fruit when the cork is pulled here, and in the glass plenty of plum-skin and peppered wood-spice character which has, for me, plenty of appeal. The palate offers a fresh although gently textured wine, with a substance that covers the ripe tannins that persist at the end very nicely. This has come around very nicely since my first assessment, and although it still shows some tannic grip it is very approachable now and has plenty to give. This is very good. 16.5/20

Chateau Grand Mayne (St Emilion) 1998: This has a beautiful hue, deeply coloured but with a mahogany maturity. After less than an hour in the decanter it is open and ready for business, and it gives a fine aroma of bloody meat, iron, perfumed violets, black olives, dry charcoal and more. It is certainly enticing, and the palate doesn't disappoint, with a medium-bodied and refined entry, plenty of acidic freshness backed up by a core of ripe tannins through the midpalate, rounding very nicely at the finish. The structure, which holds the wine well in the mouth and suggests this will do well in the cellar for some time yet, carries an array of meaty olive flavours. The end is clean and it leads to a slowly fading finish. This is excellent, and has plenty of potential for the future, yet it is still an absolute delight to drink now. 18+/20

Chateau Filhot (Sauternes) 1998: The nose here carries attractive aromas of crystalline yellow fruits, and my first impression is that it is a very straightforward, gentle wine without any complexity. The palate is well composed, well balanced, showing weight and acidity, but as the nose suggests there is no real development here. I find it also lacks a little concentration on the endpalate. Nevertheless it has a decent presence, and finishes well. Good. 15.5+/20

Chateau Rieussec (Sauternes) 1998: From a half bottle. A rich, mid-gold hue - I think this has deepened in colour a little since my last tasting. An interesting nose, rather high-toned, with toast, nuts and a maturing, somewhat roasted note. A good weight in the mouth, creamy and with good botrytis, plenty of depth and grip, and lots of texture. Appealing substance here, with an orange-tinged freshness. Rather low acidity, but good finish and a good length. A very impressive bottle for the vintage. 17/20

Chateau Climens (Barsac) 1998: From a half bottle. An appealing golden hue in the glass. The nose offers plenty of interest, which is certainly notable; there are some interesting organic tones, a touch of rôti, toffee but also fresh mint. The palate is cool and fresh although it quickly fattens up, developing a richer and slightly more complex character in the midpalate. The first flourish of real hope comes in the finish, as the wine releases a small but undeniable panoply of toffee and caramel character. This has undeniable metal. There is a little bitterness through the midpalate, however, and the wine perhaps lacks the concentration, acidity and also the precision of a truly great bottle, but all the same there is some pleasure to be had here. 15.5+/20