1998 Château Nenin

You can immediately see the quality of this vintage, and there remains an intensity and a power to the wine even at 24 years old. Warming clove and turmeric spice notes show the sunshine of the year, along with walnut, tobacco, cold ash. The tannins are melted and silky, and still evident. Blackberry fruits, puree, a soufflé of fruit. Worth noting also that you can still buy this wine from the estate, unusual to be able to source older vintages of Pomerol, but Nenin is an exception. 35% new oak.

The 1998 Nenin, 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc, was the first vintage produced by Jean-Hubert Delon after acquiring the Pomerol estate just before the harvest 1997. It has some degradation on the rim. The nose is light and tertiary, undergrowth and coniferous forest, vestiges of dusty black fruit coming forth. The palate is medium-bodied with dry tannin, foursquare and lacking a little charm. It feels very old school but not in a good way, a little dowdy in its old age. Drink up. Tasted at the château.

Muted nose – sweet and punchy and positive. Neat but not outstanding. (JR)