Cabernet Sauvignon

Inky purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is very tight, but with air it shows cassis, blueberries, spice and slight mocha notes.  full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Very concentrated.  On the palate, black cherries, cassis, blueberries and mocha.  A bit of menthol on the finish.  Long finish.  This needs time or a few hours in a decanter but it is quite good.  Maybe another three to five years of cellaring and drink for fifteen to twenty after that.  Great on its own, it will need big, fatty foods such as prime rib. 

This is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc.  The label list 15% abv.  Purple in color, garnet at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, black cherries, spice and slight cigar box.  Full bodied.  Medium to firm tannins.  On the palate, cassis and black cherries with some underlying spice.  Very ripe for Hungary.  Quite delicious.  Enough acidity to work at the dinner table, it also drinks great on its own.  This needs strong flavors to stand up to it.  Pörkölt (Meat stew) would be a nice choice.  Drink over the next ten years.  

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.  

This is a wine made by the late Dennis Malbec who left way too young.  The wine is purple in color, slight ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, spice, leather, char and slight black cherries.  full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, lots of cassis with underlying spice and char.  This is drinking well now but should continue to mature and drink well over the next twelve to fifteen years.  Great on its own, this will need some big fatty food such as a steak or roast.  

Bottle #5041.  In contrast to the regular 2018, this one is drinking great.  Such is the nature of the vintage.  While perhaps not a top vintage, it was better than many people say and the wines are so much more accessible young while still being delicious and complex.  That seems to be even more true with mountain fruit that is typically more concentrated than valley floor fruit.  The label lists 14.5%abv.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose has cassis, spice, clay and chocolate.  Firm tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is very drinkable.  Cassis, chocolate and some sp

Consumed over three nights, I much preferred it on night 3.  On opening this showed a lot of oak and some heat.  By night three, the oak had integrated, the heat mellowed and it was a delicious Napa Cabernet.  This is made from a combination of Howell Mountain fruit and Rutherford Dust Vineyard Cabernet.  Purple in color with some ruby at the rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is initially cedar and spice, but by night 3 there is cassis, cocoa powder, some cedar and a slight saddle leather note.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  Moderate acidity.  On the palate, by night 3, the tannins had integ

What a beautiful wine.  Inky purple in color, ruby rim, opaque and bright.  The nose is very concentrated with cassis, baking spice, slight chocolate and a hint of char.  Full bodied with a lush texture.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, this is concentrated as well.  It took a couple of hours to open up.  Once it did, lots of cassis with coffee, spice and chocolate.  Lots of energy.  Long finish.  This is drinking well now but should continue to for another ten to fifteen years.  It drinks great on its own and will work well with roasted meats and veggies.  

This was the first vintage of what has been a consistently great wine since.  Purple in color, some ruby, opaque and bright.  The nose is great with cassis, spice, slight coffee grounds and char.  Full bodied.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is quite concentrated.  Not over blown but plenty of cassis fruit with underlying char and spice.  Great balance.  Long finish.  This is drinking well but no hurry.  It will easily last another ten to fifteen more years.  It drinks well on its own and is a great choice for a roast or even a burger.  

This is a classic wine from a good if not great vintage.  The nice thing about that is the pricing may be better and the wine is drinking well earlier.  Purple in color with garnet swirls.  The nose is pretty with cassis, graphite, spices and slight roasted herbs.  Full bodied.  Lovely texture.  Medium tannins.  On the palate, this is delicious.  Deep with lots of cassis and spice.  Long finish.  This is drinking great now, but perhaps will still improve a bit.  It has a Bordeaux-ish personality but with California fruit (and sunshine).  Drink over the next fifteen to twenty years.  It will

Friends brought this over.  This winery is one a few that are generating lots of buzz for Cabernet Sauvignon in Paso Robles.  This is fruit forward in style but by no means a simple wine.  Purple in color, opaque and bright.  The nose is nice with cassis, tobacco, black cherry and spices.  Full bodied.  Firm tannins.  On the palate, lush cassis and black cherry fruit.  Depth.  Long finish.  This drinks well now but probably should improve with a few more years of cellaring. Drink over the next ten to twelve years.  This would go great with a roast or a steak.