Readers looking for an over-the-top, jammy, super-ripe Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot need search no further than Veritas's 1998 Cabernet/Merlot. A blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Merlot from 30-year old vines, this is a hedonistic Cabernet bomb with full body, low acidity, and gobs of jammy black fruit flavors. It is a thrill to smell, taste, and drink. Moreover, it will last 15 years given its flamboyant/ostentatious, fruit-driven style. Complexity has yet to emerge, and there is plenty of tannin lurking beneath the fruit, glycerin, and extract.Importer: Dan Philips, The Grateful Palate, Oxnard, CA; tel. (888) 472-5283

Smooth and nicely refined, offering beautifully focused raspberry, plum and spice flavors that linger nicely on the supple finish. Drink now through 2007. 750 cases made.??–HS??Region: Australia / Barossa / Barossa Valley Select to Add