1998 Wine and Port Vintage
Vintage Summary and Recommendations: Welcome to Vintage Wine and Port's 1998 wine page. Read on for our summary of the 1998 vintage, our top recommendations and region reports. Scroll down to see all of our wines currently available. If you cannot find what you are looking for please call us on 01425 837177 or Contact Us. We would love to help you with your wine choice!
The 1998 vintage varied in quality but some regions enjoyed spectacular vintages. Overall, an outstanding vintage for some regions with many good options for drinking now or cellaring further.
Our Wine Expert currently recommends the following wines for this year:
This Year in History: Fun Fact: The Eurovision Song Contest was held in Birmingham at the National Indoor Arena.
Eurovision Winner: Israel with the song "Diva" by Dana International
Top Grossing Movie: Armageddon
Bordeaux: This year favoured the merlot grape, leading to a glorious vintage in Pomerol and St Emilion. This is undoubtedly the greatest vintage for Merlot-dominated wines since 1990, and the quality of the St-Emilions and Pomerols is outstanding being powerful and tannic. The Médoc wines were initially underrated, but properties with the finest terroirs have produced some excellent high-quality wines that are now showing tremendous promise.
Italian: Another very good year for Tuscany and Piedmont, although some Tuscan producers suffered from poor picking timing during the October rains. Those that picked before or after were rewarded with long living wines but to be sure, we would recommend picking a Barolo or Barbaresco from Piedmont. The wines are classics and will drink well now or keep for years to come.
Portugal: A port wine from 1998 would make an excellent 27 year old wine gift for a birthday or anniversary. This year was not generally declared as a vintage, however a small crop produced some good and powerful Single Quinta Vintage Ports. Colheita or Single Harvest Ports such as Kopke or Barros would make an excellent alternative for port lovers and newcomers alike.
Shop with Confidence
All of our premium wine gifts are available for fast, immediate delivery directly from our own cellars. With no minimum order required—buy just one bottle or as many as you like!
- Free UK standard delivery on all orders over £100
- Complimentary tasting notes and personalized gift messages—add yours at checkout
- Three-month replacement guarantee for complete peace of mind
- Choose from our exclusive range of luxury gift boxes
- Award-winning retailer: IWC Fortified Wine Merchant of the Year (2024, 2022, 2021)
- 5-Star Trusted Shops rating for exceptional customer satisfaction
24 products found.
Ryst Dupeyron Armagnac, 1998
Ryst Dupeyron Reserve Joseph Millesime vintage Armagnac
50cl bottle
Includes original cardboard gift box
The 1998 Ryst-Dupeyron Armagnac is a vintage spirit from the renowned Armagnac house, Ryst-Dupeyron, which has been producing fine Armagnacs since 1905. It was aged for a minimum of 15 years in Gascony oak. A mature Armagnac that makes a great gift for those born in 1998.
Tasting Notes
Amber brown. The nose exhales notes of dried fruits, yellow fruits and prunes. The mouth is full, round and supple. The finish is long and soft.
Serving & Food Pairing
Armagnac is traditionally enjoyed neat, allowing you to fully appreciate its complexity. However, it can be paired with a variety of cheeses like Roquefort, Comté, high quality dark chocolate, caramel-based desserts and roasted or candied nuts. …
more >>>
Price: £68.95
Stock: 18 in Stock
Cantine Prandi, 1998
Barolo, Piedmont
Special Offer | Was £99 | Now £55
The 1998 Barolo Cantine Prandi have come from the producer's cellars where they have laid undisturbed since bottling.
Cantine Prandi was established in the 1920s when grandfather Farinetti Majorino envisioned selling part of the wine produced for family use to the commercial market. In the 1960's his nephew Giovanni came to lend a hand and was instrumental in shaping the winery and its future development. Up to 2009, Giovanni's son Alessandro looked after the beautiful vineyards situated in the long hills surrounding Piemonte. In recent years, due to Alessandro's passing, the winery ceased production. …
more >>>
Price: £55.00
Stock: 14 in Stock
Messias, 1998
Bairrada Messias Baga, Red wine
In presentation box
Special Offer | was £89 | Now £65
Bairrada Messias Baga is a distinguished red wine originating from the Bairrada region of Portugal, crafted by Caves Messias, a renowned winery with a long-standing reputation for producing high-quality wines. This particular wine showcases the Baga grape, which is indigenous to the region and known for its robust character and aging potential.
Tasting Notes Intense ruby colour transitioning to garnet, intense and complex aroma where truffles are involved with balsamic nuances. Everything at its point of maximum maturity. Muscular profile, but with very round and precise tannins. …
more >>>
Price: £65.00
Stock: 17 in Stock
Amarone della Valpolicella, 1998
Menti Vini Tipici, Veneto
This wine is made from grapes harvested in various vineyards located on hills in the Valpolicella zone (Mezzane and Tregnago hills). Different sources and different grape varieties are important to obtain well-balanced wines with the fine structure that only a few single areas in the Valpolicella zone can provide. Notes: Color: strong ruby red. Clear and transparent. Bouquet: notes of vanilla and ethereal airs depending on the period of aging in the barrel; notes of sweet fruits such as currants, blueberries, cherries depending on the varieties of grapes. Flavor: wine with a velvety, raisiny character combined with the structure and typical stylish bitterness to give it good balance. …
more >>>
Price: £99.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Antinori Solaia, 1998
Solaia - Antinori, Toscana
Price: £329.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Barbera d'Asti, 1998
S. Aprile
Barbera is a wine of prestige, rich colors that refer generally to the ruby purple, just what clothes cardinals; the bouquet is ample and composite, with fruity notes of blackberry, cherry, strawberry and red fruit jam and spicy aromas reminiscent of cinnamon, vanilla, green pepper.
more >>>
Price: £29.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Carmignano, 1998
Villa Artiminio
Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
more >>>
Price: £49.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Chateau Cissac, 1998
Medoc, Cru Bourgeois, Bordeaux
Good colour, great legs and nose. Quite nice when opened. Perhaps a trace of liquorice and a hint of 'medicinal' character. After 3-4 hours - quite rich and aromatic with good cherry fruit and a touch of maraschino at the end. Tannins are soft and have integrated completely.
Château Cissac is a prestigious wine estate situated in the Haut-Médoc appellation of Bordeaux, France. Encompassing around 50 hectares of vineyards, the estate features gravelly soils ideal for growing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. With roots tracing back to the 18th century, Château Cissac blends traditional winemaking techniques with modern innovations to produce high-quality red wines. …
more >>>
Price: £39.95
Stock: 18 in Stock
Chateau Doisy-Vedrines, 1998
Barsac, Sweet White Wine
Half Bottle 37.5 cl
This 1998 Barsac sweet wine retains a lovely freshness. Textured and with plenty of noble rot in evidence, it displays notes of orange peel and apricots. Intense and scented with a finish that goes on and on.
more >>>
Price: £34.95
Stock: 5 in Stock
Chateau Gruaud Larose, 1998
Saint-Julien, Bordeaux
The 1998 Gruaud Larose appears to be a potential sleeper of the vintage, and may merit an outstanding score. It is a powerful, bulky style of Gruaud-Larose, with a dark ruby/purple color, and plenty of cassis, spicy new oak, and roasted herbs in the jammy nose. On the palate, the wine has lost much of the forward precociousness it was revealing last spring, now boasting loads of tannin in its powerful, muscular flavors.
Château Gruaud-Larose, situated in the Saint-Julien appellation of Bordeaux, France, holds a distinguished reputation dating back to the 18th century. With approximately 82 hectares of vineyards planted primarily with Cabernet Sauvignon, …
more >>>
Price: £119.00
Stock: 7 in Stock
Chateau Langoa Barton, 1998
St Julien, 3rd Growth Classification, Bordeaux
***90-92 Points Wine Journal***
***92 Points- Robert Parker***
90-92 Points Wine Journal
"A great Langoa - nose slowly opening up. Dark black fruits with masses of pencil-lead aromas. Good depth with structured inky black fruits. This is an excellent well-made wine. Tasted May 2000." Neil Martin, Wine Journal
Château Langoa Barton is a prestigious wine estate located in the Saint-Julien appellation of Bordeaux, France. With a history dating back to the 18th century, the estate is renowned for producing exceptional red wines. Encompassing approximately 17 hectares, the vineyard benefits from gravelly and sandy soils, ideal for nurturing Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Cabernet Franc grapes. …
more >>>
Price: £99.00
Stock: 2 in Stock
Chateau Margaux, 1998
Margaux 1er Grand Cru Classe, Bordeaux
About Chateau Margaux Château Margaux is a prestigious wine estate located in the Margaux appellation of Bordeaux, France. Renowned for producing some of the finest wines in the world, the estate boasts a history dating back to the 12th century. Its vineyards are primarily planted with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and other classic Bordeaux varietals. Château Margaux's wines are celebrated for their elegance, complexity, and exceptional aging potential. The estate's iconic 19th-century château, a symbol of its rich heritage, further enhances its reputation. Consistently receiving high praise from critics and collectors, Château Margaux remains a benchmark for excellence in the wine industry. …
more >>>
Price: £545.00
Stock: 5 in Stock
Chateau Rieussec, 1998
Sauternes 1er Cru Classe
Half Bottles - 37.5cl
The wine is light medium gold-colored, with a blockbuster nose of Grand Marnier liqueur intertwined with flower blossoms, smoky new oak, and coconut. Well-integrated wood has resulted in a seamless, full-bodied, unctuously-textured wine with considerable sweetness. This is a stunningly proportioned, beautifully pure wine.
Château Rieussec, located in the Sauternes appellation of Bordeaux, France, is renowned for its prestigious history and exceptional sweet wines. With a heritage dating back to the 18th century, the estate's vineyards cover approximately 90 hectares, primarily planted with Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes affected by noble rot. …
more >>>
Price: £39.95
Stock: 13 in Stock
Chateauneuf du Pape, 1998
Domaine Vieux Telegraphe "la Crau", Rhone
The 1998 Domaine du Vieux Télégraphe "La Crau", from Châteauneuf-du-Pape, is from an exceptional vintage in the Southern Rhône. This year produced wines of great power, concentration, and aging potential, and La Crau is one of the standout wines of the region.
Vintage Overview
1998 Rhône Vintage: Considered one of the best vintages of the 1990s, with an ideal growing season. Warm and dry conditions allowed for perfect ripeness, resulting in wines with rich fruit, structured tannins, and excellent balance. In Châteauneuf-du-Pape, 1998 wines are known for their longevity and complexity, making them some of the most collectible examples from the region. …
more >>>
Price: £89.95
Stock: 1 in Stock
Clos de L'Oratoire, 1998
St Emilion Grand Cru Classe, Bordeaux
92 Points - James Suckling
91 Points - WIne Advocate
The 1998 Clos de l'Oratoire is drinking beautifully now. It has a fine concentration, really good expression of ripe fruit and terroir. Lovely classic flavours and ripe Merlot fruit with a nice balance of oak.
Clos de l’Oratoire, located on Saint-Emilion's northeast slope, has 13 hectares of vines. The terroir of Fronsac molasse, consisting of a layer of sandy soil and a clay subsoil, is ideally suited to Merlot (80% of the vines).
Meticulous work is done all year long to maintain quality in the vineyard.
Fermentation takes place exclusively in temperature-controlled oak vats. Oak, a noble material in perfect synergy with fine wine, enhances its colour and flavour, and enables it to reach its full potential. …
more >>>
Price: £89.95
Stock: 9 in Stock
D'Oliveiras Madeira, 1998
D'Oliveiras Madeira Tinta Negra- Sweet *** 95 Points_GOLD_ IWSC 2019 ***
The founders of D’Oliveiras were visionaries that saw the true value of Madeira Wine: its ability to improve over time. D’Oliveiras is the only Madeira Wine company that owns Madeira Wine bottles and barrels from as far as the 1850’s that can still be commercially purchased. Bottled and painted by hand, this 1998 Tinta Negra Madeira has been aged for 20 years in old French oak barrels in the 17th century wine lodge in the heart of old Funchal.
This sweet Tinta Negra Madeira from D'Oliveiras displays a dark mahogany colour with golden highlights. Great depth on the nose with notes of bitter Orange chocolates, nuts, raisins and smoky wood. …
more >>>
Price: £139.00
Stock: 31 in Stock
Gaja, 1998
Gaja - Sperss
The 1998 Gaja Sperss is a distinguished red wine from the renowned Gaja winery in Piedmont, Italy. Crafted predominantly from Nebbiolo grapes sourced from the Serralunga d'Alba region, this wine exemplifies the harmonious blend of traditional winemaking techniques and modern innovation that Gaja is celebrated for. The 1998 vintage, despite experiencing an inconsistent spring and tumultuous summer, resulted in a wine of remarkable depth and complexity, reflecting the resilience and meticulous care in the vineyard.
On the nose, the 1998 Sperss offers a captivating bouquet of dark cherries, plums, truffle, licorice, and aged leather, evoking the romantic essence of the Langhe hills. …
more >>>
Price: £325.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Justino's Madeira, 1998
Justino's Single Harvest Colheita Tinta Negra
***17/20 Points- JancisRobinson.com***
Special Offer | was £68.95 | Now £56.75
Justino’s Madeira Wines, S.A., is one of the oldest Madeira wine producers, going way back to 1870! Yet, despite being one of the oldest, Justino’s is certainly one of the most dynamic producers and exporters of Madeira Wine, internationally known for the quality of its wines.
This 1998 Single Harvest Madeira made by the Tinta Negra variety brings a wonderful sweet expression of Madeira wines, aged for 18 years in old French oak barrels.
Clean and attractive medium deep amber colour. Elegant aroma, rich, ripe on the nose with hints of molasses, crème brulee and walnuts notes. Richly flavoured with dried fruit cake and burnt orange and caramel fruit flavours. …
more >>>
Price: £56.75
Stock: 37 in Stock
Ornellaia, 1998
Bolgheri Superiore, Ornellaia
The Bolgheri from Tenuta dell'Ornellaia has an intense ruby colour, and on the nose with intensely fruity and spicy notes of great pleasure. On the palate it is broad, round and free of sharp edges, with smooth tannins. It hides behind a generous and sumptuous structure, in a long-lasting finish.
more >>>
Price: £339.00
Stock: 2 in Stock
Pinot Nero, 1998
Pasqua
Very forward nose of leather and cherries, liquorice wild strawberries, ripe plums and pencil .The palate is very nice balance of sweet fruit and acidity.
more >>>
Price: £39.00
Stock: 1 in Stock
Quinta do Vesuvio, 1998
Vintage Port, Douro
Vintage Report:
After a mild June, July and August were hot and dry, leading to good even maturation, with the Tinta Barroca looking particularly promising. Maturation studies carried out between 19th August and the beginning of the vintage, determined the following picking order at Vesuvio: Old vineyards; Tinta Barroca; Tinta Amarela; Tinta Roriz; Touriga Nacional; Tinto Cão; and Touriga Franca. Picking began on the 21nd September and continued until 4th October; great care being taken to select and vinify the very best fruit separately, once perfect ripeness had been achieved. Grape quality was very good with average sugar readings an excellent 12o-13o Baumé. …
more >>>
Price: £89.00
Stock: 4 in Stock
Chateau Musar, 1998
Bekaar Valley, Gaston Hochar
The 1998 Musar is a blend of Cinsault, Cabernet Sauvignon, Grenache and Carignan from this well-known and highly regarded Lebanese winery.
Chateau Musar 1998 Red Wine is a great vintage with a blend of power, complexity and endless fruit. On the palate, this wine is full of ripe, black cherries and balanced, rich fruits and spices. This wine is perfectly harmonious and balanced and expresses the power of the 1997 vintage in the finest way.
Chateau Musar is often referred to as the Lafite of the Lebanon. Wine maker Gaston Hochar defied the odds producing a string of great wines during the Lebanon War. …
more >>>
Price: £79.00
Stock: Out of Stock
Graham's Port, 1998
Malvedos Single Quinta Vintage port
The Graham`s Malvedos 1998 is a single ‘quinta’ vintage Port, it is made exclusively from grapes grown at Grahams, Quinta dos Malvedos estate. In the heart of the Douro Valley,
Quinta dos Malvedos has been the principal estate of Grahams port since 1890 and has been the cornerstone of their Vintage Ports ever since. Located between the Cima Corgo and Douro Superior regions, Malvedos enjoys the best of both regions: abundant sunshine and reasonable rainfall.
more >>>
Price: £59.00
Stock: Out of Stock