1998 Chateau Moine Lalande

[Innkeeper]

Picked up this 1998 Chateau Moine Lalande, Lalande de Pomerol recently. Realize that it is a Cru Bourgeois and a faux Pomerol as well. Still looks good with a mix of 80% merlot, 15% cabernet sauvignon, and 5% cabernet franc. Have laid it down with a drink date of '04. Does this sound right, or should I pop it sooner, if not immediately?

[Innkeeper]

Well, we followed our own counsel, and popped it tonight for our Shrove Tuesday meal. Matched it with broiled fillet steak in bacon rasher, with rolls, and salad in blue cheese dressing. It was at peak, or perhaps just a tad bit over. Bright garnet color, mature fruit and spice on the nose and upfront, and that special complexity of an aged out wine with hints of nutmeg and chocolate across the palate. Perfectly smooth tannin and fully integrated oak. The finish was such that I couldn't get Mother to put down her Bordeaux glass. At $15 - $16, would go through the three year wait again in a heartbeat.