A terrific effort, and one of the stars of the vintage, the 1998 boasts an opaque, thick looking, black/purple color in addition to gorgeous aromatics consisting of blackberries, blueberries, smoke, minerals, and vanillin. Extremely full-bodied and rich, yet harmonious, with a seamless personality as well as beautifully-integrated acidity and tannin, this blockbuster effort is one of the great surprises of the vintage. Anticipated maturity: 2003-2018+.