1998 Vin de Pays de l'Herault

The 1998 Vin de Pays de l'Herault (white) (originally rated 89-92 in issue #127) is a rich wine with extroverted dried honey, smoke, apricot, and spice aromas. Medium to full-bodied and expansive, its broad layers of pears, white peaches and flowers are ensconced in a fat, super-ripe character. Projected maturity: now-2010. Importer: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant, Berkeley, CA; tel (510) 524-1524

Syrah: Bright ruby-red. Sauvage aromas of cherry, leather and roasted game. Sappy and fruit-driven in the mouth, with flavors of red berries, cherry, spicy oak and dark chocolate. Fat, concentrated and sweet. Cabernet sauvignon: Saturated bright ruby. Tobacco leaf, tar and currant aromas. Dense but juicy in the mouth, with jammy, liqueur-like fruit complicated by leather and game notes. Finishes with substantial but round tannins and subtle persistence. Mourvedre: Bright ruby-red. Jammy strawberry and raspberry on the nose; shows a pinot-like note of red berry liqueur. Dense, sweet, rich and mouthfilling, with superripe fruit flavors. Tannins build with aeration. There's never any trouble ripening these mourvedre vines, says Vaille, noting that they benefit from a full south exposition (the cabernet and syrah vines here face north) and the same galets roulets found in Chateauneuf du Pape. In fact, the problem is avoiding overripeness, he added. An approximate blend assembled in my glass: Saturated ruby-red. Aromatic, youthful nose combines blackberry, black raspberry, leather, game and Cuban tobacco. Very sweet but not sugary; rich, supple, concentrated and deep, with a lush texture and just enough framing acidity.