Vinous Comment - Score: 97+ (2003 January)

Saturated medium ruby. Incredible nose combines black fruits, violet, meat, licorice, brown spices, cinders and tapenade. Dense and powerful, with a strong flavor of bitter chocolate and great delineation of flavor. This has the most impressive tannic structure of these '98s. Offers great breed and vivacity. Finishes with superb palate-staining persistence. The pH here is about 3.77, which is significantly lower than that of the 2000 version but higher than the '99.