My brother, Tim (and Chief Propellerhead on VineSugar) just pulled the cork from a 1998 Monte Bello and said its already on the decline. A '98?!!? That's only 11 years in perfect cellar conditions and he thinks its already fading! Not too long ago, we also pulled the cork on a '99 Heitz Trailside Napa Valley Cab and thought the same thing. Tasting slowly as the day progresed and even a full day later, the verdict was still the same:

If you got 'em, DRINK 'EM! They ain't gettin' any better.

That's pretty crazy when you think about it. These are big-time wines meant to go the distance. Are even the classics being made in such a way that they can't even make it 10 years later? That's pretty sad when you think that ageability is a huge selling factor when one acquires wine like these.

We're thinking of doing a blind tasting of a bunch of oldie-but-goodies in the back of our cellars just to see how these vintages have been holding over the last decade. Could be the most expensive tasting we perform but should also be one of the most educational too.