Readers who have a touch of masochism in them may find this wine to be even better than I did. Every time I have tasted it, it has been burly, muscular, with monster tannins, impressive concentration, but absurdly backward and unyielding. The color is still a dense garnet with only a bit of lightening at the edge. The nose offers up aromas of truffle, licorice, dried herbs, mushrooms, and sweet currant fruit. In the mouth, the wine remains closed, tannic, and austere. It is probably fashionable to give up on wines such as this, but there is a lot underneath the tannin. Anticipated maturity: 2006-2025. Last tasted, 9/01.