Château La Commanderie 1998 Review: An Old Saint-Estèphe with Quiet Charm and Beautifully Mature Tannins
Twenty-eight years have passed since the harvest of Château La Commanderie 1998, and time has given this modest Saint-Estèphe a rather different personality. The fruit has retreated, the tannins have softened, and the wine now speaks through tobacco, dried flowers, cedar and an appealing earthy character. It is a mature Bordeaux without great concentration, but with a delicacy that makes the experience genuinely enjoyable.
La Commanderie was never a grand, muscular Saint-Estèphe. Even in its youth, the 1998 stood out for its approachable structure rather than formidable power. That original character remains evident today: a slender, harmonious wine whose charm lies in its evolution, not its intensity.
The Basics
- Producer: Château La Commanderie
- Vintage: 1998
- Appellation: Saint-Estèphe AOC
- Classification: Cru Bourgeois
- Region: Médoc, Bordeaux, France
- Owner at the time: Meffre family
- Grapes: Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon
- Vineyards: Gravelly and clay-rich soils in Saint-Estèphe
- Ageing: Oak barrels
- Production: Approximately 71,000 bottles
- Bottle size: 750 ml
- Serving temperature: 17°C
Château La Commanderie: A Modest Estate in Distinguished Territory
Saint-Estèphe has a reputation for producing some of Bordeaux’s most stubborn, long-lived reds. Its clay-rich soils and gravel terraces give Cabernet Sauvignon the structure required for decades of ageing, although the appellation also produces considerably gentler wines.
Château La Commanderie belongs to that second tradition. Its history is connected with an ancient Knights Templar commandery, while the modern estate was acquired by Gabriel Meffre in the 1950s. His son Claude took over its management in 1996, shortly before this vintage was produced.
The vineyards occupy several parcels in Saint-Estèphe, including gravelly land near Château Montrose and the boundary with Pauillac. The location is impressive, but La Commanderie has always pursued a more accessible style than its celebrated neighbours.
Unlike the Cabernet-dominated stereotype of the Médoc, Merlot plays a particularly important role here. In 1998, it accounted for approximately half the vineyard plantings, contributing a softer texture and allowing the wine to develop without the severity associated with more tannic expressions of Saint-Estèphe.
The estate’s identity is therefore quite distinct from that of the great classified growths explored in our Pauillac wine guide.
The 1998 Vintage and Winemaking
The 1998 vintage was particularly successful on Bordeaux’s Right Bank, where Merlot achieved excellent maturity. Conditions were more complicated in the Médoc, where September rain affected the later stages of Cabernet Sauvignon ripening.
Nevertheless, Saint-Estèphe produced several attractive wines, especially those with sufficient Merlot to balance the firmer elements of the blend.
Château La Commanderie 1998 was made using traditional red Bordeaux vinification, followed by maturation in oak barrels. The wine emerged with a relatively delicate structure, enough fruit to support the tannins and a balance that encouraged gradual development.
Nearly three decades later, the original richness has given way to the more restrained pleasures of mature Bordeaux. The oak is fully absorbed into the aromatic profile, while the tannins have lost their youthful aggression.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Garnet red with brick-coloured reflections and a translucent rim. Clearly mature, but still attractive.
Bouquet: Tobacco, dried leaves and cedar introduce an elegant, earthy perfume. Subtle notes of leather and old wood accompany a restrained trace of dark fruit. The bouquet is delicate rather than expansive, with a pleasing sense of maturity.
Palate: Supple, dry and medium-light in body. The tannins are fully resolved, leaving a silky texture and measured acidity. The fruit has become discreet, allowing savoury notes to dominate. There is good harmony, although the middle palate lacks the depth of more ambitious aged Bordeaux.
Finish: Gentle and moderately persistent, with lingering tobacco, cedar and a faint earthy bitterness.
Our Verdict
Château La Commanderie 1998 is a charming old Saint-Estèphe, elegant in its simplicity and particularly appealing for its softened tannins and mature perfume.
The bouquet is the most rewarding part of the experience. Its combination of tobacco, leather and cedar has the quiet complexity that makes aged Bordeaux so fascinating. The palate is less impressive: the fruit has diminished considerably, and the structure is now slender, with little of the concentration associated with the appellation’s finest estates.
Yet the wine retains its balance. There is no struggle between oak and fruit, no aggressive tannic grip, and no attempt to impress through sheer power.
This is not a great Saint-Estèphe that has survived twenty-eight years. It is a modest Bordeaux that has aged gracefully, revealing a gentler personality than its famous neighbours.
Food Pairings
Paella, vitello tonnato, chicken curry, pulled pork, empanadas, hamburgers.
