The vintage

1998

The Right Bank and the Rhone

Delivery in 7–10 working days, tracked · transit cover optional at checkout

The 1998 vintage, rated

The Right Bank and the Rhone

In 2026 a bottle from 1998 marks a 28th birthday or anniversary

The vintage

Excellent · 4/5

A tale of two banks. Pomerol and St-Emilion had an outstanding year, with Petrus, Vieux Chateau Certan and L'Evangile all excellent, while the Medoc was merely good. The southern Rhone was superb, and Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1998 stands among the best of the decade. Piedmont made very good Barolo; Burgundy was mixed and hail-damaged in places.

What we would buy, and why

Right Bank Bordeaux is the buy, and the middle of the market is generous - a good St-Emilion classed growth sits well below the famous names and drinks beautifully now. The southern Rhone is the value play, with a serious 1998 Chateauneuf around 150 euro. Left Bank 1998 is perfectly sound, but you would be paying Bordeaux prices for the lesser half of the vintage, so cross the river.

1998 in the world

The Good Friday Agreement was signed in April, France won the World Cup on home soil in July, and two students incorporated Google in a rented garage that September.

Best bets for 1998

  • Chateau Troplong Mondot 1998, St-Emilion - 180-260 euro
  • Vieux Chateau Certan 1998, Pomerol - 400-600 euro
  • Domaine du Vieux Telegraphe Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1998 - 130-180 euro
  • Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape 1998 - 250-350 euro

How we grade a bottle

Fill level, label, capsule and cork, then provenance. Every bottle is checked by hand by people who have handled thousands of old bottles, and we write down the flaws as well as the good news. What the fill levels mean · How to choose a birth-year wine

Real people, not a chatbot

Ask a person about this year

The people who answer are the same people who check and pack the bottles. Ask for photographs, a condition report or advice on a year and you get a straight answer from the ANNO team, Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 18:00 CET.