1998 Charmes Chambertin Tres Vieilles Vignes

Full dark red; virtually no sign of amber yet. Vibrant, perfumed scents of red cherry, rose petal, spices and licorice. Juicy and penetrating if a bit imploded, and not showing the pliancy or volume this vintage demonstrated shortly after bottling. Flavors of blackberry confiture and flowers are accented by slightly edgy acidity, a touch of herbs and a whiff of cassis leaf. Finishes quite sappy but tight, with very firm tannins. Ideally, this wine will expand and soften with more time in bottle but I'm not convinced: owing to its slightly aggressive tannin/acid spine, it may actually lose some of its exhilarating aromatics without gaining in texture or sweetness. (14.2% alcohol; 3.38 pH; 30 h/h)