Notes

The capsule is slightly damaged - please look at image.

Provenance

The Coats Family Cellar is arguably the most prestigious fine wine collection ever offered in South Africa. It contains a deep collection of the worlds finest, most sought-after wines, spanning over 150 years. Collected over many decades, the cellar was imported from Ireland to South Africa via reefer. Each bottle within the Coats Family Cellar was authenticated by Michael Egan in August 2022 and given an ID number for tracking.

Michael Egan is a world-expert in fine and rare wines with more than thirty five years of experience. He was the principal expert for the plaintiff in the two major wine counterfeiting trials in Koch v. Eric Greenberg and United States v. Rudy Kurniawan, both of which occurred in 2013.

Along with Michael Egan, the Strauss & Co Fine Wine team have tasted extensively through the cellar and are confident of the wine storage and hence quality. The entire collection is currently stored at Wine Cellar.

Critics Ratings

‘A blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot, this wine represents only 34% of Lafite's total harvest. In a less than perfect Medoc vintage, it has been spectacular since birth, putting on more weight and flesh over the last year. This opaque purple-colored 1998 is close to perfection. The spectacular nose of lead pencil, smoky, mineral, and black currant fruit soars majestically from the glass. The wine is elegant yet profoundly rich, revealing the essence of Lafite's character. The tannin is sweet, and the wine is spectacularly layered yet never heavy. The finish is sweet, super-rich, yet impeccably balanced and long (50+ seconds). Anticipated maturity: 2007-2035.’ – Robert Parker, Wine Advocate, 98/100 (Apr 2001)

‘I must admit to being quite amazed how well this shows at 20-years of age, trouncing all the other First Growths except Haut-Brion. Lucid in colour, it has a vivid bouquet of pure blackberry, blueberry, vanilla and graphite, perhaps just a little uncharacteristically showy in style, but beautifully defined and intense. The palate is perfectly balanced with layers of ripe black fruit, perfectly pitched acidity and a silky smooth texture that renders this utterly seductive. It is almost too good for me to recommend cellaring longer. Whatever...it is a sublime Lafite-Rothschild that on this showing, may well challenge the supremacy of the 1996.’ – Neal Martin, Vinous, 96/100 (Apr 2018)

‘The vintage began with a dry spring followed by a hot August, giving grapes with thick skins and plenty of tannin and colour. Rain arrived at harvest, but because of earlier conditions, no damage was done. The final wine is 81% Cabernet Sauvignon and 19% Merlot; just over a third of the grapes made it into the grand vin. Results were inconsistent – one bottle showed a tell-tale whiff of Brettanomyces tamping down the fruit, but a second bottle was much better, with clean, curranty fruit, rich texture, and silky tannins. When it is good, it is terrific.’ – Charles Curtis MW, Decanter.com, 95/100 (Mar 2022)

‘Amazing aromas of crushed blackberries, toasted oak and currant, spices. Really a great nose. Full-bodied, with round and velvety tannins and a long, long finish. It lasts for minutes on the palate. Superb. Best wine of the Médoc, without a doubt. Best after 2011.’ – Wine Spectator, 95/100 (Jun 2009)

‘Savoury and bone dry and quite delicate, with very soft tannins already on the palate. Refined but in minor key.’ – Jancis Robinson MW, JancisRobinson.com, 16.5/20 (Jul 2008)