1998 Château Lideyre, Castillon Côtes de Bordeaux 1.5 Liter

 We’re constantly on the lookout for back vintage and library wines that may have fallen through the cracks, so when I got word that an importer friend who we regularly work with was sitting on a small caché of 1998 Bordeaux I was immediately intrigued. However, the Château was not a marquée name, and the appellation was, well, humble. So we asked to taste, and boy am I glad we did! The wine is squarely entering its peak drinking window, which actually isn’t surprising given that the 1998 vintage was a phenomenal one on the Right Bank, where the Côtes de Castillon is situated, and it’s a magnum, which slows and dramatically improves the aging process. Swirling red and black fruits, spice box, cedar, leather, and hints of mint–yup, all the benchmarks of aged Bordeaux are there in droves. Oh, and it is a shockingly good value. We don’t have much though, so act fast before these beauties are long gone! The Côtes de Bordeaux appellation is relatively new, having been created in 2009, but o