Cabernet Sauvignon

Wow.  Stunning wine.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with coffee, cassis, blueberries, spice and graphite.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  This is a really big wine, but it has that lightness and deftness that belie its size.  Great velvety texture.  On the palate, cassis, coffee, blueberries and spice.  Long finish.  Delicious.  It is still young and will no doubt be a 100 point wine in a few years.  No harm opening now, but waiting three or four years will be rewarded.  Drink over the next twenty years.  It will need big food to match with such as Standing Rib R

This is a riper Cab especially for 2012.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, baking spices, char, and slight blueberries.  Full bodied.  Tannic.  Great balance and texture.  On the palate coffee and cassis with underlying char.  Long finish.  Delicious.  This is drinking well now but should continue to mature.  Drink over the next ten to fifteen years.  A nice match with Filet Mignon.

Great showing for this wine.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, black olives, smoke and spice.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  Great texture.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Black raspberries, black cherries, slight chocolate, spice and slight underlying forest floor.  Not yet at peak but getting there.  A slight bitter cherry note on the finish is interesting.  This is great on its own and very food friendly for heavier foods.  This would go great with Lamb Chops but also grilled Portobellos.  Drink over the next fifteen years.  

This is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot, and 5% Petit Verdot.  It was given some air prior to serving and double decanted back into the bottle which seemed about right.  Ruby/purple in color, opaque if a bit flat.  The nose is nice with black cherries, cassis, slight cigar box and a bit of spice.  The tannins are all resolved.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, cherries and black cherries.  Some depth.

Tasted blind. This is a blend of 97% To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% To Kalon Cabernet Franc. Purple in color, opaque and bright. The nose is very nice with cassis, coffee and slight bell pepper. Full bodied. Not super ripe but not unripe. Full bodied. Medium tannins. On the palate, cherries, black cherries, slightly bitter with some underlying char. Moderate depth and complexity. This is drinking well now and should continue for ten to twelve years. It drinks well on its own and will work nicely with roasted meat or fowl.

Promontory is a wine "designed" to be ready on release while waiting on its big brother Promontory Red Wine to mature.  It is a Cabernet based proprietary blend.  A stunning wine.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, chocolate, blueberries, spice and slight char.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, the first sip grabs your palate's attention.  Black raspberries, blueberries, chocolate, and spice.  This sure seems to need more time in the cellar (depending how you like your wine), but it is delicious today.  It should drink well for twenty more years.  Great on its own,

Excellent showing for this wine.  It is 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Merlot aged for 12 months in new oak.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is tight but opens to show cassis, baking spices, vanilla, and slight char.  On the palate, black cherries with some spice.  A bit of menthol on the finish.  Firm tannins.  Plenty of depth and some complexity shows as it unwinds in the glass.  Long finish.  This needs a couple of years to fully mature.  This house seemed to really nail it with this vintage.  It should drink well for ten to twelve more years at least.  A nice match with a

The name is legendary. Mondavi. Therefore you expect something terrific when you open the bottle, and this does not disappoint. The wine opens with mature dark fruit of blackberry, black cherry, huckleberry, boysenberry and plum with tight and dusty tannin and good acidity. This needs some time to open up and accounting for at least 30 minutes would be a good idea. It’s definitely balanced between the oak program and the fruit, something Robert Mondavi no doubt would be proud of.

Spottswoode is one of the great Napa Cabs.  For years, they were a bit unknown, but no longer.  Often, one can find older, mature vintages for less than the current ones, and these wines age great.  Tony Soter and Mia Klein were working for the winery back then before going on to great things.  This is drinking beautifully, and I think even the most ardent Francophile would have difficulty calling this from Napa at this point.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.

This is a blend of 84% Cab Sauvignon, 8% Malbec, 5% Petit Verdot, and 3% Merlot.  It doesn't seem fair to call this a second wine as it stands on its own as an amazing wine.  2017 was a challenging vintage yet this wine is excellent.  Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, dust, pencil lead, chocolate and floral notes.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this has depth and complexity.  Cassis, black cherries and plums with underlying spice and slight tobacco.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This will still get better but should drink well for the next twelve