A bit surprisingly, while still a nice wine, this lagged a bit behind both the 2017 and the 2019. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, slight cedar, and spice. Full bodied. Firm tannins. On the palate, this drinks easy but doesn't have the expected depth. Good finish. It is a nice wine and will work well with heavier foods. Beef Ragu would work nicely. Drink over the next five to eight years.
While 2017 was a "lesser" vintage in Napa, it is still a good vintage and this is a great example. Perhaps not quite the 16 or 18, it still provides lots of enjoyment. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, cedar, spice and char. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, there is some depth. Cassis with underlying char. Nice finish. Drinking well now, it should drink well for another ten years. Nice on its own, this will work great with a burger off the grill.
This is a household favorite every vintage, but this one may be the best yet. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is big with cassis, cedar, slight leather and spice. Full bodied. Firm tannins. Good balance. On the palate, this is young but accessible. Big fruit but not overblown. Good energy. Cassis, leather and spice. Long finish. Drink over the next ten to twelve years. Great on its own, this would be nice with grilled Portobello Mushrooms.
This continues to be one of my go to wines for reasonably priced Napa reds. It is a blend of 84% Cabernet Sauvignon with the rest made up of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Deep garnet in color, mostly opaque and bright. The nose has cassis, baking spices, slight oak, and a bit of leather. Medium to full bodied. On the palate, there is nice cassis fruit with underlying earthiness. Medium finish. This should continue to drink well for the next eight to twelve years. It drinks well on its own and would be a nice match with roasts.
Ruby in color with some purple swirls, mostly opaque and bright. The nose is nice with cassis, spice and char. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, plenty of cassis fruit. Not overblown. Also, some underlying char and slight leather. Solid finish. This is drinking well now and should continue for another ten years. A great choice with a burger off the grill.
