Not very successful is the 1998 Zinfandel Black-Sears. As Larry Turley acknowledged, their hottest terroirs often did the best in the cool 1998 growing season. A dense garnet/ruby color is followed by scents of raspberries, underbrush, loamy soil, plum liqueur, and pepper. Spicy and ripe, but less expressive and thick compared to previous vintages, it is an excellent Zinfandel for consuming over the next 4-5 years. For statisticians, the alcohol level is 16%, so there is no obvious lack of ripeness, even from this cool, high altitude vineyard. Tel. (707) 963-0940