Vinous - Score: 93 (37257)

(bottled in September) Full saturated ruby. Superripe aromas of cassis, blackberry, hickory smoke, mocha and tar. Very rich, complex dark fruit flavors are superripe but not at all sugary or over the top (this has a reasonable-for-the-vintage 12.7% alcohol, with virtually no chaptalization). Very concentrated and superbly aromatic in the mouth. Finishes very long, with ripe, strong tannins. At 3.95, the pH is even higher than that of the '97 made here. This has the balance to offer early pleasure or to be cellared for a decade or more.