This wine which comes from a vineyard planted in 1904 spends 22 months in new American oak. A dense plum/purple color is followed by aggressive oak aromas intermixed with mint black raspberries and blackberries. This medium to full-bodied 1998 is not the blockbuster I expected given the vintage but it is nicely concentrated cleanly made and spicy/peppery. Revealing some tannin and adequate acidity it can be drunk now as well as over the next decade.