The 1998 Maiden is prodigious. I know it is tempting to pooh-pooh second wines but this is no afterthought from owner Bill Harlan and the winemaking team of American Bob Levy and Frenchman Michel Rolland. The 1998 Maiden (770 cases) possesses a dense purple color and a knockout nose of cocoa prunes blackberries plums and cassis. Spicy with moderate tannin and a viscosity and richness akin to beef blood it is a gorgeous concentrated thick effort. Anticipated maturity: 2002-2018.