Bon Pasteur's 1988 is a sure bet. Deep opaque dark ruby (darker than the 1989), with a huge bouquet of chocolate, plums, currants, and herbs, this full-bodied, admirably extracted wine should prove to have considerable longevity. Anticipated maturity: Now-2008.

A very powerful Bon Pasteur with more obvious tannin than most vintages, this nicely structured, still surprisingly youthful wine shows notes of cigar smoke intermixed with mocha, caramel, coffee, earth, truffle, and black cherry. The wine is still relatively dense and garnet in color, with no lightening at the edge. Medium-bodied with firm tannin in a more structured and muscular style than most Bon Pasteurs, this wine can be drunk now but promises to age easily for at least another decade. Anticipated maturity: Now-2018. Last tasted, 6/02.