Wine Spectator: 98 points

Beautiful terroir shines through in this extraordinary wine. Mineral, lead-pencil, some plum, leather and subtle wood, but above all, clean red and black fruit notes are all presented in a thick-textured, smooth-as-can-be wine with a seamless finish. Simply incredible, a meal in itself. Drink now through 2030. 305 cases made.

Review date: December 2000

Robert Parker's Wine Advocate: 99 points

Another blockbuster, and probably the greatest wine in the lineup drinking at point, the 1998 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes is a full-bodied, hedonistic and decadent powerhouse that offers incredible notes of garrigue, cured meats, chocolate, dried spice and layers of ripe red and black fruits. It opens up beautifully with time in the glass, has no hard edges, a silky, seamless texture and a finish that just won't quit. Bravo!

Review date: October 2016