Made from 106-year-old Shiraz vines, this 1998 was perplexing to taste. It is still dense purple-colored, but high in tannin, with the fruit buried beneath a strict, almost austere, tannic structure. Most of the tasters felt it could be drying out, but neither the color nor youthfulness of the fruit suggested that. Nevertheless, the possibility remains that the tannins are just too elevated for the wine’s concentration. Is it an awkward, somewhat disjointed wine that may be past its prime?

RP88+