The 1998 Solaia is an excellent choice for drinking now and over the next handful of years. Not a blockbuster, the 1998 has developed nicely, but also appears to have limited upside potential from here.

Solaia has been one of Italy's most brilliant wines since the early eighties. Made in a Bordeaux-like style, it will age for two decades or more. The 1998, a blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Sangiovese, and 5% Cabernet Franc (8,000 cases), was aged for 14 months in new and one-year old French oak casks prior to being bottled without filtration. Yields were a low 30 hectoliters per hectare. The 1998 is a classically-structured, dense, full-bodied, youthful, well-balanced wine designed for cellaring. Its opaque ruby/purple color is accompanied by a classic bouquet of black currants, vanillin, earth, tobacco, and a touch of mint. Full-bodied, moderately tannic, dense, and concentrated, this backward 1998 needs 3-4 years of cellaring. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2020. Importer: Remy Amerique, New York, NY; tel. (212) 399-0200

Rich aromas of smoke, sage and ripe fruit follow to a full-bodied palate, with big, velvety, chewy tannins and a long, mouthpuckering finish. This needs time. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Sangiovese. Best after 2005. 7,000 cases made.

Aged 14 months in new French oak. Sweet milk chocolate and a lovely ginger and cardamom character. Coffee too. Considerably different to the 1997, with fewer similarities to fine Bordeaux. Sieved tannins, not as intense or ripe as the 1997. (RH)