The dazzling compelling 1998 Shiraz is easy to figure out. At 15.5% alcohol this effort made from super-ripe fruit is one of the more backward Shiraz I tasted. It exhibits an opaque purple color as well as fabulous potential with its glorious display of licorice-infused blackberry and cassis fruit. Dense with low acidity high tannin and a whoppingly thick stacked and packed mid-palate this enormous monster needs 3-5 years of cellaring; it should age well for 20-25 years.