1998 Chateauneuf Retrospective

Exploring the aging of Grenache

1998 was the year Chateauneuf-du-Pape finally got some respect. Don’t me wrong, the wine had maintained a loyal following for years, but more often than not the wines were described as rustic, earthy and in quite a few cases, dirty. 1998 was the turning point that changed that impression in consumers’ eyes, or at least those consumers who had yet to enjoy Chateauneuf. It was declared to be a watershed vintage when the wines of the appellation entered the era of modern winemaking. By modern winemaking I do mean cleaner winemaking, but there was another angle to that statement aided by the vintage. 1998 was a very warm vintage, allowing the Grenache that the region relies on, as well as the Syrah and many other grape varieties, to ripen perfectly. I’ve spent enough time in the past ar...