1998 Musigny

The 1998 Musigny Grand Cru appears to be maturing in style as it reaches 20 years of age and should be considered a great success for the vintage. It has a fragrant, transparent bouquet of wild strawberry, orange zest and vervain tea; an underlying mineralité complements the impressive fruit concentration. The palate is medium-bodied with raspberry and cranberry fruit turning blacker toward the finish. The tannins are quite sturdy, rendering this a more masculine Musigny, as noted by Tanzer back in 2001 not long after bottling. This makes me wonder whether these obdurate tannins will ever soften. That said, the 1998 does have the fruit to support its sturdy frame, and it looks as if it is settling in for the long haul. Tasted in November 2018 at the Roumier Musigny dinner at Épure in Hong Kong.