1998 Hill of Grace Shiraz
Estimated value
Buying options
Tasting notes
Deep garnet-brick in color, the 1998 Hill of Grace has a medicinal nose of iodine plus warm plums, prunes, licorice and espresso. A bit hard in the mouth, it has crisp acid, medium to firm, chewy and somewhat astringent tannins through the long finish. Mature now, it should keep through 2020+. Importer: Negociants USA, Napa, CA; tel. (707) 259-0993
Critic scores
Average Score
Robert Parker
Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, Wine Advocate
More reviews and scores
Dark crimson. Healthy looking. Minty note for the first time. Very direct nose. Opulent fruit. Rich. Exotic ladies’-handbags notes. Broad and attention grabbing. Mellow start but then the framework becomes quite obvious. Ambitious. Sore-throat wine. (JR)
Bright red-ruby. Explosive if idiosyncratic aromas of tobacco, pepper, black olive, mocha and hot stones. Pungent and penetrating, with compelling flavors of raspberry, tobacco, black olive, dried rose, mocha, herbs and spices, plus a strong underlying minerality (I was variously reminded of Lafite, Haut-Brion and Ausone!). Suave and perfumed in the mouth; wonderfully ripe but dry. Finishes with noble tannins and great palate-staining length and grip. This wine is not for everyone-and a good thing, too, since it's extremely limited-but it certainly flipped my switch. Negociants USA, Napa CA
Still quite purple and youthful-looking. Intense, ripe, briary nose with some notes of a decongestant. Quite high-toned with decided lift. A real baby with extraordinary amounts of tannin tucked in beneath satin-smooth overlay of carefully vinified fruit. Very fine tannins and a very dry finish. (JR)