93 pts – Wine Advocate
A dazzling effort, the 1998 boasts an opaque purple color in addition to an exceptional bouquet of smoke, licorice, plums, black raspberries, and blackberries. As the wine sits in the glass, coffee and chocolate also emerge. Full-bodied, flamboyant, well-delineated, and beautifully balanced as well as layered, with well-integrated tannin in the powerful, rich finish, this 1998 will be at its best between 2003-2020. RP
93 pts – Wine Spectator
92 pts – Vinous
Deep ruby-red. Very complex aromas of plum, redcurrant, iron, mocha, cedar, milk chocolate and woodsmoke. Silky-sweet and voluptuous; very suave texture given shape by harmonious, ripe acids. Flavors are deep and complex. The thoroughly ripe tannins hit the palate quite late, allowing the strong fruit, mineral, chocolate and spice flavors to build. Today this shows more obvious balance and finesse than the massive young 2.- Stephen Tanzer (5/21)
