Vinous - Score: 98+ (1999 July)

Saturated deep ruby-red. Aromas of sweet blackcurrant, black raspberry, minerals and smoked meat; superripe but almost magically fresh. The thickest, sweetest and longest of any of these wines, but developing extremely slowly. Dark berry and mineral flavors coat those hard-to-reach areas of the palate. Great persistence. The Chaves have always played down the influence of new barrels in their Hermitage, but I get a distinct finishing flavor of smoky oak that merely adds to the wine complexity.