Chateau L'Evangile
2005 Bordeaux Blend
Pomerol

Dark in color, almost purple black, with pure tapenade and hints of ripe plum and berry. Full-bodied, with layer upon layer of velvety tannins and chocolate, berry, vanilla and tea flavors. Lasts for minutes. I am blown away by this wine. This has been amazing since the moment I tasted it from barrel. Reminds me of the superb 1950. Best after 2015.

Colgin
2006 IX Proprietary Red Estate
Napa Valley

From the Pritchard Hill Vineyard, the 2006 IX Proprietary Red Estate is a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 21% Merlot, 8% Cabernet Franc, and 5% Petit Verdot. The good news is that there are 1,500 cases of this cuvee. It, too, reveals the noble sweetness of tannin, the extraordinary rich, intense mouthfeel, and sumptuous aromas of flowers, burning embers, blackberries, blueberries, spice box, and cedar. With extraordinary intensity, beautiful purity, a texture and flavors that build incrementally on the palate, and a significantly long finish, this is a perfect wine.

Quilceda Creek
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Washington State

The flagship 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon comes predominantly from the famous Champoux Vineyard in which the winery is a partner. It was aged in 100% new oak. It sports a deep purple-color with a captivating nose of spice box, sandalwood, truffle, Asian spices, incense, black cherry, and black currant. Opulent on the palate (but elegant as well), it already reveals serious complexity, density, and succulence of fruit. Enjoyable now but with at least 8-10 years of cellaring potential, this marvelous effort should have a 30 year lifespan.

Penfolds
2004 Grange
South Australia

The 2004 vintage was outstanding in Barossa, McLaren Vale, and Magill, the regions where the grapes were sourced for the marvelous 2004 Grange. It contains 4% Cabernet Sauvignon and was aged for 16 months in 100% new American oak hogsheads. A glass-coating opaque purple color, it displays a superb nose of wood smoke, Asian spices, incense, game, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur. Medium to full-bodied, satin textured, with deeply layered, succulent blackberry, plum, and chocolate flavors, it has the structure and complexity to merit extended cellaring of a decade and more. The winery estimates a drinking curve of 2016 to 2050; I-d be a bit more conservative on the long end of the range. It will ultimately be seen as one of the great vintages of Grange.

Torbreck
2004 Run Rig
Barossa Valley

The flagship 2004 Run Rig is 96.5% Shiraz and 3.5% Viognier with the Shiraz component aged for 30 months in a mixture of new and used French oak. Yields were a minuscule 14 hl/ha (about 1 ton per acre). Saturated opaque purple/black, it has a remarkably kinky, exotic perfume of fresh asphalt, pencil lead, smoke, pepper, game, blueberry and black raspberry. Full-bodied and voluptuous in the mouth, the wine is dense and packed, with amazing purity, sweet tannins, and a complex collection of sensory stimuli. The wine demands 10 years of cellaring and will provide hedonistic delights through 2035+.

Saxum
2007 Bone Rock James Barry Vineyard
Paso Robles

With considerable power, depth, and intensity, this is sensational stuff, as is the 2007 Bone Rock James Berry Vineyard, another candidate for perfection. A blend of 82% Syrah, 13% Mourvedre, and 5% Grenache, it exhibits abundant aromas of blue and black fruits, acacia flowers, spice, pepper, and earth. The wine is full-bodied with a liqueur of minerals (as if wet rocks were liquified and added to the fermenting grapes), a dense texture, and the vintage’s elegance, precision, freshness, and good acids, which provide lift and enhance its flamboyant, opulent style.

Torbreck
2005 Run Rig
Barossa Valley

Torbreck’s flagship is the 2005 Run Rig, a 97% Shiraz cuvee sourced from 120- to 160-year-old vines with 3% finished Viognier added before bottling. It spent 30 months in 60% new French oak. Opaque purple/black in color, it has a kinky, exotic bouquet of fresh road tar, smoke, lavender, black pepper, game, blueberry, and black raspberry. Full-bodied and opulent on the palate, the wine is dense, packed, and unevolved. It will continue to open up over the next 10-12 years and drink well through 2040 in the style of a Chapoutier Hermitage. If it develops as I think it will, it will be a candidate for perfection down the road. 

Finca Allende
2004 Aurus
Rioja Spain

The 2004 Aurus is not quite as large-scaled as the 2005 but makes up for it with elegance. This stylish wine has a splendid perfume of sandalwood, incense, truffle, Asian spices, lavender, and black cherry leading to an already complex, spicy, savory wine with superb volume and mouth-coating flavors. Give it another 4 years of cellaring and drink it through 2034. Collectors will discuss the merits of 2004 and 2005 for many years to come. Jay Miller.

Harlan Estate
2004 Red
Napa Valley

The 2004 Harlan Estate is probably the most precocious and accessible Harlan Estate that this perfectionist team has made. Already compelling, the wine has notes of roasted coffee, charcoal, blackberry, spring flowers, and some background sweet, toasty notes. Dense, fleshy, exuberant, even flamboyant by the standards of Bill Harlan, this wine exhibits no jaggedness or rough edges, has relatively high tannins, but they melt away on the palate. The wine is sensationally well-endowed, long, and rich – a tour de force in winemaking.

Dominus
2007 Red
Napa Valley

A prodigious example of Dominus, the 2007 represents a hypothetical blend of a Pomerol, Pauillac, and a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby/purple-colored with a sweet nose of incense, cedar wood, black currants, black cherries, licorice, and a subtle hint of roasted herbs, it is an expansive, savory, opulent wine with a full-bodied mouthfeel, silky tannins, and sensational concentration.

Robert Foley
2007 Claret
Napa Valley

The extraordinary 2007 Claret, which is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based wine, displays inky notes of lead pencil shavings, pen ink, creme de cassis, blackberry, incense, and licorice. The wine is super-pure and super-rich, an extraordinarily full-bodied powerhouse of a Cabernet Sauvignon that should evolve for 15 or more years. Its sweetness of tannin and headiness already make it accessible.

Casanova di Neri
2004 Brunello di Montalcino Cerretalto
Tuscany

Very powerful and rich, with blackberry, licorice and light toasty oak. This has pure fruit. Turns exotic and decadent. Big and full-bodied, with dense, powerful tannins, but velvety and beautiful. Layered and gorgeous. Best from 2011 through 2018. Only 1,950 cases made.

Bodegas Catena Zapata
2005 Nicolas Catena Zapata
Argentina

The flagship wines begin with the purple/black-colored 2005 Nicolas Catena Zapata, a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and 22% Malbec. The fruit was sourced from four of the estate’s finest high-elevation vineyards, and aged for 24 months in 100% new French oak. The brooding bouquet delivers pain grille, mineral, violet, scorched earth, pepper, espresso, black cherry, and black raspberry aromas leading to a dense, opulent wine with gobs of savory fruit, ripe tannins, terrific concentration, and a 60-second finish. Allow it 6-8 years in the cellar to reveal its full potential and enjoy it from 2015 to 2030.

Two Hands
2005 Shiraz Ares
Barossa Valley

A majestic wine that's tremendously aromatic and dense in texture, but amazingly refined. Delineates its ripe plum, blueberry and currant flavors with precision, shading the fruit with nuances of coffee and dark chocolate, hinting at smoke and licorice as the finish laps at the palate like the shore of a deep lake. Shiraz. Best from 2010 through 2020. Only 850 cases made.

Araujo
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Eisele Vineyard Napa Valley

One of the candidates for “wine of the vintage,” the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Eisele Vineyard represents 1,600 cases produced from a 40-acre vineyard, which tells you how Draconian Araujo’s selection process is. The final blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot has resulted in a beautifully pure wine displaying an extraordinary floral, black currant, and mineral-scented bouquet, with no hint of new oak. The purity, richness and full-bodied power yet surreal finesse and impeccable balance should be cherished by wine lovers. This beauty can be drunk now and over the next two decades. Wow!

Jim Barry Shiraz
2004 The Armagh
Clare Valley

One of the most colossal wines in all of my tastings was Jim Barry’s 2004 Shiraz The Armagh, a 100% Shiraz aged 16 months in French and American oak. It is an opaque purple-hued, super-intense effort displaying great precision and richness. Notes of melted asphalt, acacia flowers, blueberries, blackberries, charcoal, and espresso roast emerge from this full, dense, opulent Shiraz. The finish lasts for over 45 seconds. This is a great example of one of the icons of Australian Shiraz. Anticipated maturity: now-2025.

Bond
2005 Matriarch
Napa Valley

This year’s Matriarch is very similar to Harlan Estate in structure, and in some ways, a superior wine, or at least more delicious now. Shows the most beautiful black currant, cedar, blueberry pie and Asian spice flavors. What makes the structure so gorgeous are the firm tannins. Ultimately, it’s a refined, exquisite red wine. Hard to imagine a better one for drinking over the next decade, and just shows that price sometimes has no relationship to quality.

Carmin de Peumo
2005 Carmenere Pelmo Vineyard
Rapel Chile

Domaine Charvin
2007 Chateauneuf du Pape
Southern Rhone Valley

La Massa
2007 Giorgio Primo
Tuscany

Aldo Conterno
2004 Barolo Colonnello
Piedmont Italy

Tenuta dell'Ornellaia
2006 Ornellaia
Bolgheri

Senorio de San Vicente
2005 Tempranillo
Rioja Spain

Quilceda Creek
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Galitzine Vineyard Columbia Valley

Chateau Guiraud
2005 Sauternes
Bordeaux

Anderson's Conn Valley
2007 Right Bank Red
Napa Valley

Blackbird Vineyards Illustration
2007 Bordeaux Blend
Napa Valley

Antinori
2006 Guado al Tasso
Bolgheri Superiore

Torbreck
2004 The Factor Shiraz
Barrosa Valley

Bond
2001 St. Eden
Oakville Napa Valley

Straightforward floral, black currant, licorice, and tar aromas jump from the glass of the 2001 St. Eden. A Pauillac-like personality filled with creme de cassis, cedar, pen ink, and lead pencil is found in this nearly perfect 2001. Drink it over the next two decades.

Bond
2004 St. Eden
Oakville Napa Valley

The 2004 St. Eden seems to hit all the sweet spots on my palate. A wine of great complexity, richness, and intensity, with oodles of creme de cassis fruit and plenty of roasted herbs and meatiness, with exceptional power and richness, this wine has fleshed out since I had it last year, and seems to be destined to be one of Bond’s most compelling wines, a full-bodied wine with great purity, richness, and beautifully integrated acidity, wood, and tannin. Give it 1-3 years of bottle age and drink it over the following 25 years.

Paul Hobbs
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard Napa Valley

After the perfect 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon Vineyard (that’s right, I raised my score by a point), the 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Beckstoffer To-Kalon comes across as slightly more mortal. One of the outstanding Cabernet Sauvignons of the vintage, it tastes like a California concoction of La Mission Haut Brion and Montrose. Its deep purple color is followed by a sumptuously pure nose of sweet scorched earth, hot rocks, creme de cassis, graphite, and charcoal. The tannin is sweet, but elevated. Full-bodied and powerful, with 20-25 years of life, this spectacularly rich, dense, multi-layered effort oozes classic Cabernet Sauvignon varietal character.

Napa Angel
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Aurelio's Selection
Napa Valley

From Chilean winemaker, Aurelio Montes,  this 100% Cabernet shows massively concentrated flavors of ripe blackberries and cassis, with richer notes of dark chocolate, anise, spices and smoky cedar. What an amazing tannin structure, intricate, fine and complex. A wine to drink now for sheer opulence or to age for at least a dozen years.

Lagier Meredith
2003 Syrah
Mount Veeder Napa Valley

The wine has all the flavor elements you would hope to find in Syrah grown in the best sites of the northern Rhone; cool meatiness, lasting black pepper spiciness, scents of lavender and wild berries. And yet it doesn’t taste like it’s trying to mimic anything; it tastes like it belongs exactly where it grows ( a vineyard at 1,300 feet, on an east-facing slope surrounded by forest ).

Bodegas EL Nido
2007 EL Nido
Jumilla

Its stable-mate, the 2007 El Nido, is a blend of 70% Cabernet Sauvignon and 30% Monastrell from the same vineyard sites and it received the same elevage. It, too, has a splendid, nearly ethereal perfume, a full-bodied, voluptuous personality, and unrestrained power. It is a bit more structured than the Clio bottling and will offer a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2025, perhaps longer although these wines have no track record of longevity. As an aside, it is not three times better than Clio as the price might suggest, not even close.

Merus
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Rich and concentrated, with a generous mix of currant, blackberry, wild berry and mocha-laced oak. Intense, yet avoids being heavy, turning sleek and elegant. Deftly balanced and tightly focused, with a complex, lingering finish that ends with hints of herb and black olive. Drink now through 2015. Only 875 cases made.

Blankiet
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Paradise Hills Vineyard Napa Valley

There are 1,300 cases of the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Paradise Hills Vineyard. Boasting delicious fudge-like aromas intermixed with blackberry, coffee bean, and pain grille scents, this super-rich, full-bodied effort displays a Graves-like, volcanic, scorched earth/hot stone element in its flavors. With moderately high tannin, it will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and should drink well over the following two decades.

Clos Saint Jean
2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Vielles Vignes
Southern Rhone Valley

The special selection for American importer Peter Weygandt, the 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes, ratchets up the level of succulence, juiciness, and opulence. It is a fabulous, compelling effort of multiple dimensions. Classic aromas and flavors of licorice, kirsch liqueur, balsam wood, and lavender are found in this enormously full-bodied wine along with unreal concentration and perfect balance. This astonishing effort should drink well for 20+ years. 

Bond
2004 Vecina
Napa Valley

The 2001 Vecina reveals powerful espresso, mineral, black currant, and earthy characteristics presented in a full-bodied, Harlan-esque style with tremendous density, brilliant upside potential, and marvelous purity. Don’t touch this beauty for at least five years.

Bond
2001 Melbury
Napa Valley

The 2001 Melbury exhibits an inky plum/purple color as well as a big, sweet nose of roasted meats, black fruits, charcoal, and a hint of scorched earth. It possesses fabulous depth, sweet tannin, seamless balance, and a finish that lasts close to a minute.

Bond
2002 Melbury
Napa Valley

An exquisite effort, the 2002 Melbury Proprietary Red boasts a dense purple color to the rim along with a sweet perfume of acacia flowers, blueberry pie, licorice, and a hint of hot rocks. A wine of great intensity, tremendous voluptuousness and opulence, fabulous purity, low acidity, and silky tannin, this stunning 2002 can be drunk now and over the next 15-20 years.

Bond
2004 Vecina
Napa Valley

The 2004 Vecina shares an opaque ruby/purple color, smells of wet steel, crushed rocks, spring flowers, forest floor, and plenty of cedar and chocolatey black currant and blackberry notes. A huge, spicy, complex nose is followed by a wine of impressive ripeness, full-bodied power, and a multi-dimensional mouthfeel with huge amounts of glycerin, fruit, and thickness. This is a connoisseur’s treat, and despite the fruit-forward character of the vintage, this wine ideally needs 2-4 years of bottle age and should keep for 30-35+ years.

Bond
2002 St. Eden
Napa Valley

The inky/purple-tinged 2002 St. Eden Proprietary Red reveals notes of unlit cigar tobacco, beautiful blueberry and creme de cassis fruit, and notions of licorice, spice box, and incense. It is full-bodied, with wonderful sweetness and plumpness as well as a meaty richness that cascades over the palate with a seamlessness that must be tasted to be believed.

Turley Wine Cellars
2006 Petite Syrah Hayne Vineyard
Napa Valley

Never disappointing, and usually one of the finest Petite Syrahs made in California, the 2006 Petite Sirah Hayne Vineyard once again hits on all cylinders. A blockbuster Petite Sirah, inky purple in color with a glorious nose of charcoal, black raspberry, blueberry, creme de cassis, licorice, and crushed rocks, it is very full-bodied, powerful, with sweet tannin, decent acidity, and a 45+-second finish. This is an infantile wine that will benefit from 5-7 years of bottle age and last 25-30+ years.

Benjamin Romeo
2006 La Vina de Andres Romeo
Rioja Spain

The 2006 La Vina de Andres Romeo is sourced from a single vineyard. Opaque purple-colored, the wine's legs ooze slowly down the glass. Aromas of smoke, cedar, pencil lead, underbrush, and blackberry are enticing leading to a tightly wound, dense, powerful Rioja that will evolve for another 8-10 years and provide a drinking window extending from 2018 to 2030.

Chappellet
2007 Pritchard Hill Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Sleek, rich, intense and beautifully balanced, with a complex mix of black currant and black cherry, plus red and black licorice. Firm, focused, expansive and layered, ending with classic Bordeaux- like cedar, tobacco and cigar box notes. Drink now through 2020.

Kongsgaard
2005 Roussanne/Viognier
Napa Valley

The best white Rhone Ranger made north of San Francisco is Kongsgaard’s blend of Roussanne and Viognier, a blend that he plays with and changes every year depending on what the vintage gives. The 2004 was a letdown after several thrilling vintages, but I have to say that the 2005 is possibly the best he has yet made. A 120-case blend of 63% Roussanne, and 37% Viognier, it is right up there with the great Sine Qua Non blended white from the Santa Barbara region. An unbelievably exotic nose of litchi, high class perfume, sweet apricots, and tropical fruits with hints of lilac is followed by a wine of great intensity, tremendous acidity, and a flamboyant personality.

Harlan Estate
2003 Maiden
Napa Valley

This second label of Harlan Estate comes from the estate vineyard, and shares much in common with the main wine, which is a bit more focused and concentrated. The similarities include the briary, wild herb scents of sage and thyme that complex the ripe red cherry pie filling fruit, cocoa, cola and licorice. As with the main wine, the tannins here are gorgeous. This is a balanced, harmonious wine that combines power and elegance.

Robert Mondavi
2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Pure, rich and concentrated, this bold, graceful wine offers a deep core of earthy currant, blackberry and plum, with hints of herb, mocha and black licorice, giving it uncommon complexity and depth. Ends with firm tannins and a long, persistent finish. Best from 2010 through 2017.

Spottswoode
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The utterly profound 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc) will benefit from several years of bottle age, and should keep for 25-30 years. This extraordinary effort exhibits notes of blueberries, cassis, spring flowers, licorice, and forest floor. Beautifully pure and full-bodied with excellent overall harmony as well as superb purity, it reveals a Chateau Margaux-like personality. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2030.

Greenock Creek
2005 Seven Acres Shiraz
Barossa Valley

The Seven Acres Shiraz was also aged for 28 months in seasoned American oak hogsheads. Tar, mineral, earth notes, smoked meat, and blueberry scents jump from the glass of this full-bodied but restrained (relatively speaking) Shiraz. On the palate it is a bit more austere than its siblings with a bit more structure and apparent acidity. As a result, it will require longer cellaring and should offer prime drinking from 2015 to 2030.

Kaesler
2006 Shiraz Old Bastard
Barossa Valley

Chateau Beaucastel
2007 Chateauneuf du Pape
Southern Rhone Valley

Beaucastel’s 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape has turned out even better out of bottle than I predicted. An inky/ruby/purple color is followed by a glorious nose of blue and black fruits, truffles, pen ink, licorice, and meat juices as well as glorious levels of acidity and sweet tannin, buttressing the fruit’s fabulous freshness and vibrancy. This full-bodied effort still displays considerable tannin, no doubt because of the relatively high Mourvedre content. It should resolve its tannins in 2-4 years, and last for 25 or more.

Domaine Raymond Usseglio
2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale
Southern Rhone Valley

The blockbuster 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cuvee Imperiale (90% Grenache and 20% other authorized varietals) comes from a vineyard planted in 1902. Aged 80% in tank and 20% in small wood barrels, it may be the finest wine I have yet tasted from Raymond Usseglio. This exquisite offering is Burgundian-like in its floral minerality mixed with dense kirsch liqueur and garrigue notes. Full-bodied, sensationally rich, and large-scaled as well as fresh, vibrant, and precise, this sensational effort can be drunk now or cellared for 15-20 years.

Cheval des Andes
2006 Bordeaux Blend
Mendoza Argentina

The 2006 Cheval des Andes was bottled in early 2008 but has not yet been released. The 2006 vintage is superb throughout Mendoza and this wine, as in many other bodegas I visited in April 2008, shows off the extra dimension of complexity made possible in an exceptional year. The wine is composed entirely of Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon. It is a bit more saturated than the 2005 with a splendid perfume of pain grille, mineral, espresso, black cherry, and black raspberry that leaps from the glass. More opulent and layered than the 2005, it also conceals a bit more structure. The finish seems to go on and on. Drink it from 2015 to 2035. Jay Miller. 

Le Ferme Du Mont
2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cotes Capelan
Southern Rhone Valley

The dense ruby/purple-colored, full-bodied 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Cotes Capelan is an outrageously rich, complex wine exhibiting beautiful creme de cassis, kirsch, licorice, forest floor, and spring flower-like aromas. It is fresh, voluptuous, and opulent in the mouth, but the fresh acids and vibrancy give it exceptional precision as well as a refreshing style despite its weight, richness, and length. This is a superb, young Chateauneuf du Pape from an up-and-coming star of the appellation. Give it 1-3 years of bottle age and drink it over the following two decades.

Remirez de Ganuza
2004 Unfiltered Tempranillo
Rioja Spain

The 2004 Remirez de Ganuza is dark ruby-colored with a splendidly expressive perfume of pain grille, crushed stone, scorched earth, and assorted black fruits. Youthful and tightly wound on the palate, the wine has all the components for potential greatness. Dense, lengthy, and complex, with 6-8 years of cellaring this wine will be smoking!

Concha y Toro Don Melchor
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Maipo Valley Chile

Still very tight, but the tannins that lead the way now are sleek and refined, and should easily meld into the huge core of roasted chestnut, black currant paste, warm fig and tar. Has a long, coffee- and loam-tinged finish. Best from 2009 through 2019.

Blankiet
2004 Cabernet Sauvignon
Paradise Hills Vineyard Napa Valley

There are 1,300 cases of the 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon Paradise Hills Vineyard. Boasting delicious fudge-like aromas intermixed with blackberry, coffee bean, and pain grille scents, this super-rich, full-bodied effort displays a Graves-like, volcanic, scorched earth/hot stone element in its flavors. With moderately high tannin, it will benefit from 2-3 years of bottle age, and should drink well over the following two decades.

Muga Aro
2005 Tempranillo
Rioja Spain

Glass-staining purple. Jaw-droppingly perfumed bouquet of candied cherry, blackcurrant, pipe tobacco, dark chocolate, minerals and Asian spices. There's a seductively mineral-driven quality to the vibrant fruit that reminded me of Chateau Ausone. Sweet cassis and blackberry flavors overwhelm the palate and pick up candied flowers, cinnamon and mocha with time in the glass. As lush and creamy as this wine is, there is excellent mineral spine to add focus to the endlessly sweet, spicy finish. If I could find or afford this, I'd be all over it. There were just 250 cases made of this wine, which is a selection from the property's oldest vines.

Merus
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Superrich, smooth and creamy. A seductive style that balances ripe, concentrated currant, cherry, fresh earth, mineral and sage notes with toasty, cedary oak. Ends with a powerful yet elegant finish that keeps pumping out the flavors. Fine-grained tannins bode well for the future. Drink now through 2015. 1,013 cases made.

Hestan Vineyards
2006 Stephanie Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Classic and harmonious, a very solid Napa 100% Cabernet that’s dry and firmly tannic in the mouth. Feels balanced, harmonious, ageworthy, a wine without seams or faults. Fruity, but not overly so, with the blackberries and black currants generously balanced by herbs, minerals and cedar. Very classic and noble wine, and one to cellar through at least 2018.

Duckhorn
2006 Merlot
Napa Valley

Black-garnet hue. Lovely mixed aromas of blueberry, raspberry and kirsch. A rush of black cherry fruit on entry laced with flinty mineral accents and fine-grain, youthful tannins. Creamy fruit marks the finish. Taut in structure and cellar-worthy. A prime example of power and finesse: classic Napa fruit, true to its varietal character, crafted into a memorable, prototype Merlot.

Andrew Will
2007 Red Blend
Ciel Du Cheval Vineyard

A completely different blend from the winery’s 2006 Ciel, this reflects Chris Camarda’s growing enchantment with Cabernet Franc, which is now 45% of the blend. Most of the rest is Merlot—a Right Bank style. The concept works. It captures the sleek minerality of the site, and puts the fruit into tight, laser- like focus. The wine seems almost crystalline—sharpedged and reflective, with penetrating angles and offset flavors. Cellar Selection.

Pedestal
2006 Merlot
Columbia Valley

8% Cabernet Sauvignon; 4% Petit Verdot; 2% Malbec. If this finely crafted wine is just a bit closed, it nonetheless delivers a fair dollop of concentrated black cherry fruit together with rooty and creme brulee richness in its layered aromas. Its slight tightness continues in the mouth, yet here the wine unbends just a touch more and offers complete and convincing proof that the depth and concentration presaged by the wine's early smells are wholly at hand. Rich, extracted, amply tannic and, yes, somewhat drying today, this one has all the pieces in place to mature handsomely over the next decade.

Catena Zapata
2006 Argentino Vineyard Malbec
Mendoza Argentina

The 2006 Malbec Argentino is a blend of the Nicasia and Adrianna Vineyards with the same elevage. As so often happens, the combination is better than either of the individual components. It is more complex aromatically, seems more opulent, has tons of flavor, and a lengthy, 60-second finish.

Dominus
2006 Red
Napa Valley

There are 6,500 cases of the superb 2006 Dominus (91% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot). Its dark plum/purple color is accompanied by aromas and flavors of truffles, forest floor, black cherries, black currants, and Asian spices. One of the finest wines of the vintage, it is complete, full-bodied, and seamlessly built with beautiful ripe tannins, low acidity, and a luscious, layered mouthfeel. The aromatics are even more evolved and complex than the 2005's. The 2006 should drink well for 20-25 years.

Anderson's Conn Valley
2006 Eloge
Napa Valley

The 2006 Eloge’s dark plum/ruby color is followed by a sweet kiss of plum, black cherry, earth, licorice, and spice box, a medium to full-bodied wine, abundant tannin, and impressive concentration, purity, and overall complexity. Reasonably evolved, and extremely seductive aromatically, with a slightly structured finish, it can be enjoyed now and over the next 15 years. It is a blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot, and 3% Merlot.

Bond
2004 Melbury
Napa Valley

Readers looking for a fruit-forward vintage should check out the 2004 Melbury. A sensational wine with an inky bluish/purple color, fabulous blueberry and blackberry fruit with hints of lead pencil, acacia flower, pain grille, and spice, the tannins are supple and the wine exuberant, flamboyant, ripe, rich, and long. This is sensational stuff that can be drunk now or cellared for 20-25 years.

Colgin
2006 IX Syrah Estate
Napa Valley

An amazing Syrah, vivid, juicy and concentrated, with blackberry and wild berry fruit providing the centerpiece to this complex, full-bodied beauty, which reveals hints of mineral, spice and pebble as it unfolds, ending with firm, chunky fruit flavors.

Opus One 
2005 Red
Napa Valley

The opaque purple-hued 2005 exhibits an extraordinary nose of violets, creme de cassis, charcoal, and spring flowers. Gorgeously pure, opulently full-bodied, with sweet tannins, superb concentration, and a low acid, ripe, tannic finish, it tastes like a top-notch vintage of ripe Bordeaux, but made in California. It can be drunk now and over the next 20-25 years. Bravo! 
 

Bodegas Sierra Cantabria
2006 Amancio
Rioja Spain

The 2006 Amancio is more approachable. A deep purple in color, it displays aromas of pain grille, mineral, espresso, lavender, black cherry and blackberry. Dense and full-flavored on the palate, it has a smooth texture, excellent balance, and several years of aging potential. Drink it from 2014 to 2026. Jay Miller.
 

Bond
2003 St. Eden
Napa Valley

The 2003 St. Eden offers full-bodied, sweet cigar tobacco, spice, licorice, and meaty characteristics, good richness and fatness, and huge concentration and intensity. Performing even better from bottle than it did from barrel, it is a strong candidate for the top wine of the vintage. Already accessible, this beauty should age effortlessly for 15-20 years.

Blankiet
2002 Cabernet Sauvignon
Paradise Hills Vineyard Napa Valley

There are just over 1000 cases of the Cabernet Sauvignon, which is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the hillsides of the Blankiet estate. The 2002 possesses floral, blueberry, and espresso roast notes and big, sweet, black currant fruit infused with chocolate, barbecue spice, and meaty notes. The wine is big, rich, and complex, with sweet tannin and a multi-layered, concentrated finish.

Chateau Pavie Macquin
2000 Bordeaux Blend Grand Cru
St. Emilion

A wine of great density, concentration, and intensity, the opaque blue/purple 2000 Pavie Macquin needs considerable aeration, but with decanting the prodigious bouquet of graphite, camphor, blackberry, blueberry, mineral, coffee, and smoky oak finally makes an appearance. Persuasive, expansive, full-bodied, and muscular, this enormously endowed, rich wine looks set for a long life, at least three decades. A terrific effort that rivals the compelling 1998. Anticipated maturity: 2010-2025.

Luca
2005 Nico
Mendoza Argentina

The 100% Malbec 2005 Nico by Luca was aged for 12 months in 100% new French oak. Dense purple-colored, it offers a splendid nose of pain grille, mineral, spice box, black cherry, and blackberry liqueur. This leads to a full-bodied, opulent wine with gobs of savory fruit, outstanding balance, and serious aging potential. Give it 4-6 years in the cellar and drink it from 2012 to 2030. There are only 400 3-packs of this phenomenal effort. Jay Miller.

Pahlmeyer
2006 Red Blend
Napa Valley

There are 7,000 cases of the prodigious 2006 Proprietary Red Wine (a blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec). Most of the fruit comes from the Stagecoach Vineyard and the Waters Ranch. Sweet, smoky, meaty aromas interwoven with melted asphalt, camphor, blackberry, cassis, and charcoal scents emerge from the complex aromatics. In the mouth, the wine is full-bodied, displaying sweet tannin, a concentrated mouthfeel, and a long, heady finish with substantial fruit, glycerin, and extract. It should drink beautifully for 20+ years.

Tensley
2008 Syrah Colson Canyon Vineyard
Santa Barbara County

Displays gorgeous fruit, with a medley of wild berry, blackberry, huckleberry and boysenberry fruit that's pure, rich and intense, yet elegant, supple and refined. The fruit flavors are sustained on the finish, ending minerally, with fine-grained tannins. Drink now through 2017. Only 1,610 cases made.

Chappellet
1999 Cabernet Sauvignon
Pritchard Hill Estate Vineyard Napa Valley

Still a big, ripe, chunky, expressive style, matching power with restraint. Ripe, rich and full-bodied, offering a core of spicy currant, exotic spice, dill, mocha, mineral and fresh earth. Deeply concentrated and ending with chewy tannins, this gives you a wealth of Cabernet to consider.1999 California Cabernet blind retrospective (2009). Drink now through 2018.

Robert Foley
2007 Petite Sirah
Napa Valley

The black/purple 2007 Petite Sirah may well be around in 50-60 years, when most of us will be pushing up daisies. In fact, it probably needs to be forgotten for 8-10 years. A massive, pedal-to-the-metal Petite Sirah that looks like pen ink, the wine displays notes of creosote, pepper, spice box, blackberry, and blueberry, with hints of incense and floral undertones. It is dense and almost looks like syrup being poured into a glass. It is obviously not for everybody, as it is certainly a controversial New World wine, but these wines will become more and more civilized as they age, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this one is spoken of with reverence 40-50 years from now.

Bond
2002 Vecina
Napa Valley

The big, rich, brawny 2002 Vecina Proprietary Red is a primordial, tannic beast with a beef blood-like concentration, a huge, opaque purple color, and notes of scorched earth, blackberries, chocolate, camphor, roasted meats, and cassis. It’s as if I took an aged porterhouse steak from Peter Lugar’s famed restaurant, put it in a Cuisinart, and aged it in new French oak. Give this amazing wine 5-6 years of bottle age, and drink it over the following 20-25 years.

Allende
2004 Pago del Calvario
Rioja Spain

The 2004 Calvario is sourced from a single vineyard planted in 1945 and is composed of 90% Tempranillo, 8% Grenache, and 2% Graciano. The wine was aged for 14 months in 100% new French oak and bottled unfiltered. Opaque purple-colored, it offers up an expressive nose of toast, vanilla, spice box, floral elements, blueberry, and blackberry liqueur which leaps from the glass. This is followed by a mouth-filling wine with oodles of flavor, great definition, and plenty of ripe tannin leading to a finish lasting nearly a minute. Still an infant developmentally, the wine begs for another 6-8 years in bottle. It should last for at least 25 years. Kudos to Finca Allende for a magnificent set of 2004 Riojas!

Dalla Valle
2006 Maya
Napa Valley

Tight, firm and structured, with a rich, focused beam of blackberry, black cherry, currant, herb and anise. Full-bodied, intense and concentrated, this unfolds slowly and enticingly to reveal extra dimensions of complexity and nuance, getting better with every sip. Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2010 through 2017. Only 300 cases made.

Merus
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon (97% Cabernet Sauvignon and 3% Malbec and Petit Verdot) boasts an inky/purple color along with a rich bouquet of creosote, blueberries, blackberries, sweet earth, and smoky, spicy oak. With full body, abundant fruit, glycerin, and sweet tannin, a multilayered mouthfeel, and stunning upside potential, it is accessible enough to be drunk in 2-3 years, or cellared for two decades.

Cliff Lede
2005 Poetry
Napa Valley

The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Poetry (925 cases of 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Malbec, and the rest Petit Verdot and Merlot) is the richest of these wines. Superbly deep ruby/purple-colored with notes of blackberry, cassis, licorice, subtle smoke, and incense, this opulent wine has a plush palate, silky tannins, impressive purity, stature, and length. However, the tannins are there and the wine still tastes primary despite its enormous potential. Give it 3-4 years of bottle age and drink it over the following three decades.

Bond
2004 Melbury Red Blend
Napa Valley

Readers looking for a fruit-forward vintage should check out the 2004 Melbury. A sensational wine with an inky bluish/purple color, fabulous blueberry and blackberry fruit with hints of lead pencil, acacia flower, pain grille, and spice, the tannins are supple and the wine exuberant, flamboyant, ripe, rich, and long. This is sensational stuff that can be drunk now or cellared for 20-25 years.

Dominus
2005 Red Blend
Napa Valley

The 2005 Dominus (a 7,000-case cuvee of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest equal parts Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot) has come of age, and is one of the strongest efforts they’ve made. It is possibly the best Dominus since the 2001, and perhaps even the 1997 or 1991. A beautiful, sweet nose of roasted coffee interwoven with kirsch, black currant, cedar, and spice box emerges from this deep ruby/purple-colored wine. The wine has fabulous intensity, a layered, opulent, full-bodied mouthfeel, well-integrated acidity, and a stunningly long finish. The layering of this wine as it builds incrementally on the palate is something to behold. An outstanding, sexy, ageworthy Dominus, it will benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring, and last for at least 25 or 30 years.

Winter
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Offers gorgeous fruit, with amazing purity of flavor, delivering rich, concentrated, supple layers of currant, blackberry, black licorice and mocha, with subtle loamy earth. Ends with a long, full and persistent finish. Drink now through 2019. Only 680 cases made.

Linne Calodo
2007 Outsider
Paso Robles

The 2007 Outsider (70% Zinfandel, 20% Syrah, and 10% Mourvedre) appears to be the finest example of this wine Trevisan has yet made. A gorgeous deep ruby/purple color is followed by a sweet bouquet of black raspberries and licorice. It comes across like a full-bodied Chateauneuf du Pape, which is remarkable given the fact that it contains no Grenache. It displays the character that Zinfandel grown in these hillside limestone soils seems to take on. A deep, full-bodied wine with tremendous freshness, length, and intensity, it should drink well for 7-8 years.

Fuligni
2001 Brunello di Montalcino
Tuscany

Currant, berry and raspberry follow through to a full-bodied palate, with firm yet silky tannins and a fresh finish. Goes on for minutes. Tight and concentrated now. One for the cellar. Best after 2008. Only 2,000 cases made.

Robert Mondavi
2004 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Weaves together a complex array of ripe, rich currant, anise, smoky oak and black cherry. Dense, concentrated and persistent, with great depth and focus. Ends with an amazingly long, richly flavored finish. Best from 2008 through 2018.

Caymus Special Selection
2001 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Lots of aromatic complexity, with ripe plum, blackberry, mineral, slate and cedary oak flavors that are rich and concentrated, with ripe, polished tannins and a long, full-bodied finish that echoes mocha and berry flavors. Keeps revealing vivid and thick flavor nuances. Another amazing Caymus Special Selection. Best from 2005 through 2013.

Duckhorn Vineyards
2004 Red Blend
Howell Mountain Napa Valley

Almost entirely Merlot, with a few drops of other Bordeaux varieties, this Howell Mountain red screams for time in the cellar. The tannins bite and dog the mouth through the long, astringent finish. But chew on it for a while and you hit a deep core of blackberries and currants, and the more the wine warms up in the glass, the more impressive it gets. Cellar until 2010, and it should reward for years after. 

Merus
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Merus’s 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon exhibits an inky/purple color as well as an extraordinary bouquet of blueberry liqueur intermixed with graphite, charcoal, cassis, and spice. The wood seems pushed to the background given the extraordinary concentration of fruit. Full-bodied, powerful, and rich with chocolaty espresso notes intermixed with blackberries and blueberries, this pure, impressively textured, long Cabernet should evolve for two decades.

Beaulieu Vineyard
2006 George de Latour Private Reserve
Napa Valley

Even in this vintage, which was not so great, Beaulieu has succeeded with this dramatic, classic Cabernet Sauvignon. It's absolutely delicious, offering a range of blackberry, black currant and cedar flavors, complexed with notes of chocolate, anise, sweet smoky leather and Asian spices. Beautiful now for its velvety softness, but has the inherent structure to last for a long time. Through 2013, and much longer if you like older Cabernet.

Felsina
2006 Chianti Classico Rancia Riserva
Tuscany

The 2006 Chianti Classico Riserva Rancia is a vibrant, focused wine that flows with the essence of dark fruit, minerals and flowers. The wine possesses gorgeous length and proportion, all of which is framed by powerful yet well-integrated tannins. Simply put, this is a superb Chianti that also happens to be one of the best relative values in fine, age worthy wine. The Rancia is made from vines planted on poor soils at 420 meters above sea level. In 2006, the Rancia spent 16 months in French oak, of which 60% was new. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2026.

Gran Elias Mora
2005 Tempranillo
Toro, Castilla Leon Spain

This red has an iron grip now, but there's impressive concentration, and once the tannins release, it shows rich cassis, coffee, anise and tar notes that unfold on the finish. Great density and balance. Best after 2009. Only 830 casesmade.

Monbousquet
2000 Bordeaux Blend
St. Emilion

From an unheralded terroir, this Monbousquet was made from extremely low yields of 28-30 hectoliters per hectare. Aged sur lie and bottled unfined and unfiltered, it exemplifies proprietor Perse's enormous efforts. Black and blue to the rim, this wine represents the essence of this terroir. Its saturated black/purple color is accompanied by extraordinary aromatics of sweet blackberries, chocolate, coffee, incense, new saddle leather, and vanilla. Remarkable intensity, lively acidity, and abundant tannin provide definition and grip. This is the most intense, muscular, and "biggest" Monbousquet made to date, and that is saying something considering the 1998 and 1999! So be prepared, it is remarkable wine. Anticipated maturity: 2005-2018.

Catena Zapata 
2006 Malbec Adrianna Vineyard
Mendoza Arentina

The 2006 Malbec Adrianna Vineyard received the identical elevage as the Nicasia cuvee. It has a racier personality with a silky palate feel, sweet flavors, and exceptional length. It, too, merits 6-8 years of cellaring and will present a drinking window extending from 2013 to 2026. 

Chateau Les Asteries
2005 Bordeaux Blend
St. Emilion

Part of the garagiste efforts from Jonathan Malthus, Les Asteries is a blend of 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Franc. The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2005 reveals spicy, oaky aromas intermixed with scents of chocolate, blackberries, espresso roast, and graphite. This thick, juicy, modern-styled St.-Emilion offers impressive concentration, purity, and depth in its flamboyant personality. Very impressive! Anticipated maturity: 2013-2025.

Philip Togni 
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Displaying a more saturated ruby/purple hue, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate offers a sweet perfume of blueberries, black raspberries, black currants, and spring flowers. More open aromatically than on the palate, it reveals medium to full body, and an elegant, finesse-styled personality. Togni’s wines always have a Bordeaux-like structure. It is a gracious, savory effort that should age for 20-25 years. (pre-arrival)

Dominus
2005 Red Blend
Napa Valley

The 2005 Dominus continues to strut its stuff, tasting like a Napa hybrid blend of a St.-Emilion and Pomerol. Its dark ruby/purple-tinged color is followed by notions of cedarwood, spice box, roasted herbs, sweet black cherry and cassis fruit, licorice, and truffles. Full-bodied with excellent fruit intensity, complex aromatics, supple tannins, and a long finish, this 7,000-case blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot should drink well for two decades or more.

Two Hands
2005 Aerope
Barossa Valley

Medium red. An exotic bouquet includes raspberry, candied cherry, sandalwood, vanilla and pungent herbs. Lush, creamy and sweet, with deeply concentrated red fruit and smoky herb flavors and deftly knit, silky tannins. Finishes on notes of pure red berries and red licorice, with outstanding persistence. Twelftree says that this wine represents his eight best barrels of grenache, from vines ranging from 50 to 80 years of age, and is their stab at "a luxury Chateauneuf."

Robert Mondavi
1999 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

An enormously complex and sophisticated wine that combines great flavors with uncommon finesse. Dark, sleek, rich and polished, with a delicious core of concentrated cola, currant, plum and blackberry. Tremendous finish. Best from 2004 through 2014.

Torbreck
2006 Shiraz The Factor
Barossa Valley

The purple/black 2006 The Factor is 100% old-vine Shiraz from the esteemed Greenock sub-region of Barossa Valley. It spent 24 months in 30% new oak. The aromatic array of balsam wood, smoke, pepper, espresso, blueberry, and licorice is eye-opening. This leads to a rich, glossy, full-flavored Shiraz with layers of succulent fruit, ripe tannin, exceptional spiciness, and a lengthy, pure finish. It will evolve for another 8-10 years and will have a drinking window extending from 2016 to 2036.

Tetra
2007 Proprietary Red
Napa Valley

The 2007 is stunning. Opaque purple-colored, with plenty of creme de cassis, creosote, camphor, incense, subtle toasty oak, licorice and oodles of black fruits, the wine has superb purity, full bodied texture, beautiful richness and depth, and a finish that goes on for at least 40+ seconds. This blend of 73% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot, and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot should age nicely for 15-20 years.

Domaine Santa Duc
2007 Gigondas
Southern Rhone Valley

The 2007 Gigondas Tradition, a 3,000-case cuvee, is a big-time sleeper of the vintage and well-worth latching onto, since its availability is very good. Dense purple to the rim, with an exquisite nose of charcoal, blueberry and blackberry fruit, chalk, and floral notes, the wine is rich, full-bodied, with sensational concentration, admirable purity, and beautiful texture and length. The wine is still young and unevolved, but it is very accessible. The acids buttress the wine’s substance, and give it vibrancy and focus. Drink it over the next 10+ years.

Vina Montes
2003 Alpha M Santa Cruz
Rapel Valley Chile

Gorgeous, racy and pure, with black cherry, black tea, mineral, espresso and sanguine notes running along finely stitched tannins and fresh acidity. Long, detailed finish echoes with cocoa and fruit. Delivers a lot without being bombastic. Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot. Drink now through 2012.

Beau Vigne
2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

More backward and structured, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve possesses copious black fruit, licorice, and forest floor notes as well as a boatload of tannin. While neither as charming nor accessible as the Juliet, it needs 3-4 years of cellaring, and should last for two decades thereafter.

Altamura
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon (100% Cabernet Sauvignon) possesses aromas of creme de cassis, white chocolate, espresso roast, dusty, loamy soil, and a full-bodied structure. With rich, powerful flavors that cascade over the palate as well as beautiful purity and depth, it will be even better with another 2-4 years of cellaring, and is capable of lasting 20-25 years.

Robert Young
2004 Scion
Alexander Valley

The 2004 Scion is built for aging. It`s stuffed with tannins that coat the mouth with grapeskin astringency, but that firm structure will support time in the cellar. Give it three or four years, when the black cherry, cassis, black and red currant, cocoa, herb and cedar flavors will emerge on their own.

Robert Mondavi
2003 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The rich and intense 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve has a saturated ruby/purple color and is sweet and dark, with a complex nose of creme de cassis, blackberry, subtle oak, and smoke. It is medium to full-bodied and seems richer, fuller, and more intense than the 2004, but again reminds me of a St.-Julien made in Napa.

Larkmead Vineyards
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Composed of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Merlot, and 1% Cabernet Franc, the 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (nearly 4,000 cases produced) is a great buy for a world-class Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. It exhibits a dense purple color, notes of charcoal, creme de cassis, graphite, and forest floor, and a ripe, opulently fruity, rich, full-bodied style. Its endearing silkiness, multi-dimensions, and mature, sweet tannins suggest it has two decades of life ahead of it.

Palazzo
2006 Proprietary Blend
Napa Valley

Palazzo’s deep ruby/purple-tinged, full-bodied 2006 Proprietary Red Wine (68% Merlot, 22% Cabernet Franc, and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon) reveals a sumptuous perfume of white chocolate, fruitcake, black cherries, black currants, and subtle toasty oak. Displaying a luscious texture, a broad, savory mid-palate, and gorgeous length, it should drink nicely for 10-15+ years.

Anderson's Conn Valley
2006 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The unfined, unfiltered 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve spends two years in French oak and another year in the bottle before being released. This cuvee has a long track record of aging (the 1990 and 1991 are still going strong). The dense ruby/purple-tinged 2006 offers notes of new saddle leather, black currants, autumnal vegetation/forest floor, cassis, and cherries, superb richness, and a full-bodied, powerful finish. Cellar it for 5-6 years, and drink it over the following 25 years.

Merus
1999 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

A dark, rich, hearty style that has its decadent side, with potent earthy currant, black cherry, wild berry, mineral, leather and cedary oak flavors. Firms up on the finish, with rich, dense tannins. Patience required. Best from 2004 through 2012. Only 325 cases made.

Pahlmeyer
1999 Merlot
Napa Valley

A mouthful of wine that packs in lots of rich, deep, plush and concentrated flavors, with tiers of currant, blackberry, raspberry and wild berry fruit. Well-integrated tannins smooth out the finish. Drink now through 2010.

Bond
2001 Matriarch
Napa Valley

A great introduction to Bond’s style is the 2001 Matriarch, which Bob Levy calls, “our elegant leftovers.” This is a three-vineyard blend of the juice that was not rich or concentrated enough to be included in the single vineyard bottlings. Beautifully made, with wonderfully sweet notes of smoke, lead pencil shavings, black cherries, and cassis, an opulent texture, impressive concentration, low acidity, and silky tannin, it possesses more up-front charm and accessibility than its bigger siblings. Enjoy it over the next 10-12 years.

Beringer Private Reserve
1994 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The terrific 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve offers an opaque purple color, a gorgeous nose of toasty oak, and a silky, concentrated texture with unobtrusive acidity or tannin. The wine possesses layered richness, remarkable balance, sweet, pure fruit, and a finish that lasts for nearly 30 seconds. Like so many top 1994s from Napa and Sonoma, this wine will be accessible when released in early 1998, but will age well for two decades. 

Andrew Will
2006 Sorella
Horse Heaven Hills Washington

The 2006 Sorella, produced from Block 1 of the Champoux Vineyard, is the winery flagship. Saturated purple in color, the perfume is a complex amalgam of pain grille, scorched earth, espresso, black currant, blackberry, and licorice. This leads to a supple-textured wine with layers of ripe fruit, outstanding depth and concentration, considerable elegance, and a long, pure finish. It will evolve for 8-10 years and provide pleasure through 2030.

Paraduxx
2006 Red Blend
Napa Valley

64% Zinfandel; 27% Cabernet Sauvignon; 7% Merlot; 2% Cabernet Franc. This deep, impressively extracted version of this perennial CGCW favorite marries well-defined blackberry fruit with a layer of ripe currants, a good dose of sweet oak and touches of milk-chocolate. Its sense of layered richness and it accents of sweet earth speak to classic Napa Valley character, and, thanks to its provenance, its unique mix of grapes and the attention that the Duckhorn folks pay to it, it continues to be a more sophisticated wine than Zinfandel typically yields.

Betz Family
2007 Clos de Betz
Columbia Valley

The 2007 Clos de Betz is a blend of six grape varieties (56% Merlot, 21% abernet Sauvignon, and the balance Malbec, Cabernet Franc, Mourvedre, and Petit Verdot) sourced from several Columbia Valley AVAs. It was raised in 70% new French oak for 12-14 months. Purple-colored, it reveals an alluring bouquet of spice box, violets, incense, black currant, and blackberry. Medium to full-bodied on the palate, it displays an elegant personality along with considerable complexity. Expressive black fruits mingle with earth and spice notes, plenty of ripe, fine-grained tannin, and a lengthy finish. Give this rich, substantial effort 4-6 years of additional cellaring and drink it from 2013 to 2027.

Ciacci Piccolomini d'Aragona
2004 Riserva Brunello di Montalcino
Vigna di Pianrosso Tuscany

The estate’s 2004 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Vigna di Pianrosso Santa Caterina d’ Oro is rich and sensual in its layers of dark fruit. Ripe and perfumed , the wine reveals tons of persistence, great depth, fine, silky tannins and an expansive, multi-dimensional personality that emerges over time. Menthol, pine, spices and a host of other balsamic nuances swirl around in the glass, adding further complexity to the dark fruit and rounding out the wine beautifully. Readers who are patient will be rewarded with a superb Brunello. This is a terrific effort from proprietor Paolo Bianchini. Ciacci’s Pianrosso is an old-vines selection that spent 36 months in Slavonian oak. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2024.

Pax Cellars
2005 Syrah Griffin's Lair
Sonoma

The 2005 Syrah Griffin’s Lair, from a hillside Sonoma Coast site that is wind-swept, exhibits beautiful flowery bacon and lead pencil notes intermixed with some meat juices, blackberry, and cassis. The wine is full-bodied, rather opulent, fleshy, and mouthfilling with no hard edges, and should drink beautifully for 5-8 years.

O'Shaughnessy
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon
Howell Mountain Napa Valley

The only 2006 I tasted is a re-evaluation of the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Howell Mountain, which is performing better now than it did last year. A dense purple color in addition to plenty of creme de cassis, crushed rock, blueberry, and brioche-like notes are found in this full-bodied Cabernet. It avoids the rustic tannins of this vintage, and exhibits good sweetness and purity of fruit. Consume it over the next 15-20 years.

Hundred Acre
2004 Shiraz
Ancient Way Vineyard Barossa Valley

Incredibly dark in color but light on its feet, this wine somehow manages to hide its 15.5% alcohol under fruit that’s neither overblown or jammy. Spice- and herb-driven complexity is the order of the day, with scents of violets lending an exotic note to the aromas. It's mouthfilling and palate-coating but wonderfully balanced, picking up hints of black olive and espresso on the lingering finish. Good now, but appears to have the stuff to evolve over at least 10–15 years.

Benjamin Romeo
2006 La Cueva del Contador
Rioja Spain

The purple-colored 2006 La Cueva del Contador was aged for 12 months in new French oak and bottled without fining or filtration. It gives up an outstanding perfume of pain grille, pencil lead, damp earth, incense, and black cherry. Opulent on the palate, it is dense, rich, and full-flavored with enough ripe tannin to evolve for 4-6 years. Drink this lengthy effort from 2014 to 2031. Jay Miller.

Vinedos de Paganos
2005 El Puntido
Rioja Spain

The 2005 El Puntido is 100% Tempranillo sourced from a vineyard of the same name planted in 1975. Malolactic fermentation was sur lie in new French oak for four months followed by 18 months in new French barriques. Purple/black-colored with a brooding nose of great promise, it shows off notes of new oak, crushed stone, scorched earth, roasted herbs, incense, and blackberry. Voluminous yet elegant on the palate, it is mouth-filling and rich with gobs of fruit and plenty of ripe tannin. Give this lengthy effort 6-8 years of cellaring and drink it from 2016 to 2030.

Peter Michael
2003 Les Pavots
Knights Valley

The 2003 Les Pavots (61% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, and 4% Petit Verdot) exhibits notes of melted licorice, tapenade, damp earth, black currants, and cedar. Slightly more herbaceous than the 2004, with notions of barbecued meat as well as blue and black fruits, this full-bodied, dense 2003 may not have quite the potential of the 2002 or 2001, but it is a brilliant effort to consume between 2008-2020.

Two Hands
2005 Grenache Aerope
Barossa Valley

Medium red. An exotic bouquet includes raspberry, candied cherry, sandalwood, vanilla and pungent herbs. Lush, creamy and sweet, with deeply concentrated red fruit and smoky herb flavors and deftly knit, silky tannins. Finishes on notes of pure red berries and red licorice, with outstanding persistence. Twelftree says that this wine represents his eight best barrels of grenache, from vines ranging from 50 to 80 years of age, and is their stab at a luxury Chateauneuf.

Domaine de Villeneuve
2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Vieilles Vignes
Southern Rhone Valley

DeLille Cellars
2004 Harrison Hill Vineyard
Yakima Valley

The 2004 Harrison Hill comes from a single Yakima Valley vineyard, the second oldest in the state. The wine is composed of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot,9% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. Dark ruby-colored, it exhibits a fragrant perfume of minerals, leather, pepper, cedar, cassis, black cherry, and black currants which jumps from the glass. Richly textured, the wine is supple and sweet on the palate with layers of complex flavors, well-concealed tannins, and a long, smooth finish. Give this seamless effort 3-4 years of further bottle age and drink it through 2024. The winery offered the 1994 Harrison Hill to demonstrate the aging potential of this wine. Exhibiting complexity, elegance, and power, it has the stuffing to continue its evolution for another 5-7 years.

Patrick Lesec
2005 Chateauneuf Du Pape Galets Blonds
Southern Rhone Valley

Showing brillantly, in fact much better than it did last year, the 2005 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Galets Blonds (95% Grenache and 5% Syrah) is spectacular. Gorgeous aromatics of tapenade of black olives intermixed with blackberry, kirsch, licorice, and meat juices is followed by a voluptuous, full-bodied, heady wine with terrific concentration, sweet tannin, and a long finish. This wine includes 100% stems during the vinification and is a cuvee of 6,600 bottles. It should drink beautifully for 15 or more years.

Copain Wines
2005 Syrah
Thompson Vineyard Santa Barbara

The 2005 Syrah Thompson Vineyard (made famous by Ojai’s Adam Tolmach) is seriously endowed, with notes of licorice, ground pepper, incense, Chinese black tea, roasted meats, and copious quantities of blackberry and cassis fruit. Admirable stuffing, full-bodied power, and dazzling delineation make for an impressive Syrah that should drink well for at least 10-12 years.

Blankiet
2004 Merlot
Paradise Hills Vineyard Napa Valley

The 2004 Merlot Paradise Hills Vineyard (1,100 cases) includes a dollop of Cabernet Franc in the blend. It exhibits gorgeous notes of chocolate, espresso, plums, blackberries, and cherries. Full-bodied with terrific intensity and opulence, it makes a dramatic statement about how great Napa Merlot can be. It should drink beautifully for 15 or more years.

Tensley
2008 Syrah
Turner Vineyard Santa Barbara County

Pure, ripe and zesty, with fresh, vibrant blackberry, wild berry, pepper, spice and mineral, gaining depth and complexity. Retains its focus on the purity of youthful fruit. Sleek and elegant, ending with a beam of fruit. Drink now through 2017. Only 51 cases made.

Patrick Lesec
2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Pierres Dorees  
Southern Rhone Valley

The 2007 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Pierres Dorees is composed of 65% Grenache, 20% Mourvedre, and 15% Syrah that spends time in used, 1- to 4-year-old Burgundy barrels. Only 10% of the blend is aged in steel. It also includes a lot of stems during fermentation, but that is certainly not noticeable in either the aromas or flavors. Its dense purple color is followed by a sweet, floral-dominated nose of incense, soy, licorice, black fruits, meat juices, and bouquet garni. Deep, full-bodied and powerful as well as silky-textured, layered, and long, this beautiful wine should evolve for 10-15 years.

Sequel
2005 Syrah
Columbia Valley

The 2005 Sequel is made by John Duval, former winemaker of Penfolds Grange. The wine is 96% Syrah and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon aged for 16 months in mostly French oak. Aromas of cedar, smoke, game, bacon, and violets are alluring while leading to a round, layered, smooth-textured, full-bodied wine with several years of aging potential. This hedonistic effort will be at its best from 2012 to 2020.

Far Niente
2006 Cabernet Sauvignon 
Napa Valley

Intense purple hue. Blueberry and mint aromas with light graphite undertones. Apparent anise, blackberry and new oak give way to combed tannins and a nervy edge of fresh acidity. A fleshy, intense Cab with a promising future.

Giovanni Manzone
2005 Barolo Castelletto
Piedmont

The 2005 Barolo Castelletto is the sweetest and richest of these offerings. Made in a round, generous style, the Castelletto flows onto the palate with an explosive array of dark red fruit. Sweet medicinal herbs, licorice and spices emerge with notable clarity on the long finish. The Castelletto can be enjoyed today for its exuberant, textured fruit, or cellared for those who prefer more tertiary complexity. Either way, it is a beautiful 2005 Barolo. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2025.

Chateau Petrus
2006 Bordeaux Blend
Pomerol

Bright medium ruby. Reticent but complex nose opened with air to display an almost roasted ripeness to the aromas of dark berries and licorice. Sweet, deep and lush, showing brooding dark berry and black cherry fruit sexed up by an exotic chocolate liqueur quality. A hugely rich but rather inscrutable wine. This was much deeper in pitch than the Trotanoy I tasted next to it, and missing that wine's ineffable mineral high notes, inner-mouth perfume and impression of harmoniousness. Is this simply too young to assess today? Time will tell.

Domaine Charvin
2006 Chateauneuf du Pape
Southern Rhone Valley

Bright red. Captivatingly perfumed scents of fresh red berries, cherry, minerals and flowers, plus an exotic note of incense. Pliant and sweet, with deep raspberry and candied cherry flavors, silky texture and firm mineral cut. Reminds me of serious, decadent Burgundy. Finishes with excellent clarity and red fruit persistence. This is gorgeous.

Philippe Melka
2006 Metisse
Napa Valley

The 2006 Metisse is a somewhat softer, more up-front version of the 2005, with a dark ruby/purple color, dense, concentrated, rich fruit flavors, real style and elegance, and serious power and richness with supple tannins, low acidity, yet a graceful mouthfeel with tremendous purity and length. This is a beauty. The 2005 will be at its best over the next two decades. The 2006 should drink well when released and evolve for 15 or more years. Some other good news is that Philippe Melka is now making around 200 cases of St.-Emilion from a vineyard just below Beausejour-Becot.

Pax Cellars
2005 Syrah Cuvee Keltie
North Coast

Inky violet. This smells uncannily like a top-level Northern Rhone wine, with potent dark berry, smoked meat and violet scents complicated by graphite and iron. Smoky and lush, with vivid blackberry and cassis flavors, excellent depth and fine, silky tannins; a hint of mocha comes up with air. Juicy, concentrated and long, finishing with an impressive interplay of fruit and minerals.

Casa Lapostolle
2007 Clos Apalta
Colchagua Valley

This is a rich and enticing red, with alluring aromas of warm cocoa and roasted vanilla bean giving way to lush plum sauce, cassis and raspberry ganache flavors. The long, smoldering finish is velvety and dripping with pure fruit, all of it backed by a suave tobacco note. Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Petit Verdot. Best from 2011 through 2017.

John Duval
2006 Entity
Barossa Valley

Inky ruby. Pungent dark berry and candied cherry aromas are complicated by smoked meat, licorice and Asian spices. Powerful and deep in dark berry flavors, but almost shockingly lithe and precise, displaying fresh raspberry and blueberry on the back. An undercurrent of juicy acidity contributes lift and precision, and helps to extend the finish. This terrific shiraz offers a deft balance of finesse and depth, not to mention impressive finishing clarity and cut.

Chateau Smith Haut Lafitte
2006 Bordeaux Blend Grand Cru
Pessac Leognan

A top-notch success, the dense ruby/purple-colored 2006 Smith-Haut-Lafitte offers aromas of smoky, juicy black currants, graphite, earth, truffles, and forest floor. Full-bodied with superb purity, noticeable but sweet tannins, this round, generous, long wine should drink nicely for 15-20+ years.

Bond
2003 Vecina
Napa Valley

More difficult to evaluate than its siblings, the 2003 Vecina, which comes from a site near Harlan Estate, is a firm, tannic, backward wine displaying a gravelly, scorched earth, hot rock, black currant, licorice, and herb-scented bouquet. In the mouth, it is tight, rich, and ruggedly constructed with medium to full body as well as a boatload of tannin. Give it 4-5 years of cellaring, and consume it over the following 15.

Tikal Jubilo
2007 Red Blend
Mendoza Argentina

The 2007 Jubilo is a 50-50 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec aged for 12 months in 70% new French oak. A saturated purple color, the nose displays aromas of pain grille, pencil lead, espresso, black currant, and blackberry. Packed and stacked, this densely fruited effort is layered, spicy, and succulent. Give it 2-3 years of additional bottle age and drink it from 2011 to 2022. Jay Miller.

Patrick Lesec
2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Galets Blonds
Southern Rhone Valley

The 2006 Chateauneuf du Pape Les Galets Blonds is composed of 85% Grenache, 12% Syrah, and the rest Mourvedre. It exhibits a deep ruby/purple color as well as classic notes of creme de cassis, kirsch, licorice, spice box, pepper, and truffles. Full-bodied with layers of fruit, lovely sweetness, sweet tannin, and a lusty, heady, hedonistic finish, it should provide plenty of pleasure over the next 15+ years.

Alto Moncayo
2006 Veraton
Campo de Borja Spain

The 2006 Alto Moncayo Veraton is the winery’s entry level and is 100% Garnacha sourced from vines ranging in age from 35 to 92 years. It was aged in new French and American oak for 17 months and bottled without filtration. It offers up a sensational aromatic array of pain grille, pencil lead, earth notes, wild black cherry, and black raspberry. Dense, layered, and full-flavored on the palate, this hedonistic effort is balanced enough to evolve for several years but can be enjoyed now. It is an awesome value.

Matthiasson
2005 Red Blend
Napa Valley

The 2005 Proprietary Red, a blend of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, exhibits plenty of underbrush, chocolate, cocoa, espresso, and berry fruit as well as elegant, medium-bodied flavors, impressive purity, and a style that suggests consumption is warranted over the next decade.

Brother Timothy
2001 Signature Series Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The wine has deep, rich color with aromas of black cherry, currant, a hint of vanilla and enticing suggestions of spices. A velvety texture, soft tannins and a lovely structure are complemented by long, lingering flavors. Drink Now thru 2020. Dr. Su Hua Newton.

Ilaria
2007 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon (94% Cabernet Sauvignon and rest Petit Verdot) is a limited production cuvee offering a dense opaque purple color, beautiful black currant, charcoal, and smoky aromas, a gracious, elegant, well-balanced style, medium to full body, beautiful concentration, and an endearing texture and length. There is nothing out of place in this supple, already appealing Cabernet. It should last for 15+ years.

Ridge
2006 Monte Bello
Santa Cruz Mountains

Deep, bright ruby. Spicy, high-pitched aromas of red- and blackcurrant, cherry, pipe tobacco, rose and smoky Indian spices. Firm, mineral-driven dark berry flavors are given a firm edge by bitter cherry skin and pit notes, with the tobacco note repeating. Supple tannins add structure and carry through the long, sweet, smoky finish. This is showing gentler tannins than I usually expect from a young Monte Bello and I'd bet on it being drinkable before the 2005 and 2004 versions.

Staglin Family Vineyard
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Staglin’s primary red wine is their estate Cabernet Sauvignon, which comes from their beautifully manicured and cared-for vineyards in the hillsides of Rutherford. None other than David Abreu looks after the viticulture, and of course that means yields are frightfully low. The 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate has a Bordeaux-like, cedary nose intermixed with black currants, crushed rocks, smoke, and earth. The wine has beautiful texture, lots of layers, depth, richness, and a long finish. The overall impression is one of elegance and restraint, but without sacrificing richness. This wine should evolve nicely for at least two decades.

Familia Zuccardi Zeta
2005 Red Blend
Mendoza Argentina

The flagship 2005 Zeta is a blend of 66% Malbec and 34% Tempranillo. The Malbec spent 14 months in French oak, the Tempranillo 14 months in American oak. The nose reveals mocha/coffee, black berry and black currant. Fleshy and supple on the palate, the wine has plenty of ripe fruit, spicy flavors, excellent balance, and 4-6 years of aging potential. It will offer prime drinking from 2012 to 2025. Jay Miller.

Sanguis
2006 Novillero Syrah
California

The 2006 Novillero is also showing slightly better than it was last year. An even more powerful wine at 15.6% alcohol, it is another intriguing blend of Syrah, Grenache, and Viognier, which gives uplift to the spicy, meaty aromatics, which also include creme de cassis, blackberry, licorice, and earth. It is a powerful wine, layered, extravagantly rich, and dark ruby/purple in color, as one might expect. This wine should drink beautifully for 7-10 years.

Beau Vigne
2006 Guest Cottage
Napa Valley

The most limited production cuvee (less than 100 cases) is the 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Guest Cottage. The most backward and inaccessible of this trio, it is similar to the Reserve, but without as much breadth of flavor and intensity. Nevertheless, it is a terrific Napa Cabernet Sauvignon offering up notes of graphite, black currants, sweet cherries, mocha, spicy wood, and a hint of earth. Give this tannic, structured 2006 3-4 years of cellaring, and consume it over the following 20-25 years.

Caymus Special Selection
1997 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Bright ruby. Cassis, violet and lightly tarry, spicy oak. Ripe, dense and very concentrated; thick and deep. Not at all overly sweet or dominated by the wood. Has superb material and verve. Finishes very long, with thoroughly ripe tannins. The finest vintage for this wine in a long time, and one that avoids the excesses of (American) oak that have plagued so many recent vintages.

Radio Coteau
2006 Syrah
Las Colinas Sonoma Coast

Inky purple. Utterly classic syrah aromas evoke blackcurrant, olive tapenade, candied licorice, spice cake, violet and minerals, with an emphatic undertone of cracked pepper. Fine-grained tannins add frame to sweet red and dark berry flavors, which are in turn complicated by Asian spices and black olive. Finishes with excellent mineral lift and great sweet persistence. Lovely stuff.

Anderson's Conn Valley
2007 Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

Pure creme de cassis intertwined with floral and licorice notes are present in the inky/purple-colored 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Rich, full-bodied, and meant for long-term aging, it should hit its peak in 7-8 years, and evolve for 25-30 years. These brilliant 2007s are some of the strongest efforts that have emerged from Anderson’s Conn Valley Vineyards over the last decade.

Bodegas Numanthia
2005 Tempranillo
Toro Spain

Deep ruby. A deep, youthfully brooding bouquet offers dark cherry, blackcurrant, incense and suave oak spices. Spicy cherry and dark berry flavors show an exotic anise quality and slow-building sweetness. This gently tannic, chewy, extremely persistent wine finishes with echoes of oak spice and floral pastille, not to mention excellent vivacity.

Dunn
2005 Cabernet Sauvignon
Howell Mountain Napa Valley

Deep red-ruby. Complex nose melds cassis, violet, licorice, musky game, black tea and black olive. Denser than the Napa Valley offering but tighter today, with its sweetness currently under wraps. But this serious, backward wine turns sweeter on the back end, finishing with broad, dusty tannins, an intriguing note of tobacco and sneaky length. Structured for a slow evolution in bottle but even today this is not especially austere.

Mauro
2005 Red Blend
Tudela De Duero

The 2005 Mauro is made up of 97% Tempranillo and 3% Syrah. Opaque purple-colored, it reveals a brooding but enticing bouquet of wood smoke, pencil lead, tar, and assorted black fruits. This leads to a layered, plush, mouth-filling, sweetly fruited wine with tons of flavor. It has enough structure to evolve for 2-3 years and its finish is long and pure. It can be enjoyed now but will continue to provide pleasure through 2025. Jay Miller.

William Fevre
2008 Chablis Vaillons
Burgundy

Clean, pure and refreshing, with lemon, apple and mineral flavors that mesh seamlessly with the incisive structure. Finishes with precision and flintiness. Best from 2011 through 2021. Only 109 cases imported.

Beringer Private Reserve
1995 Cabernet Sauvignon
Napa Valley

The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Private Reserve is a full-bodied, explosively rich, deep purple-colored wine bursting with ripe fruit. It displays smoky oak, gobs of cassis, a touch of cigar box and cedar, and a layered, multi-dimensional feel. This voluptuous, seductive offering is already drinking well, yet should age effortlessly for 15-20 years.

Araujo
2003 Altagracia
Napa Valley

Araujo’s second wine, Altagracia, is almost too good to be true. There are 750 cases of the 2003 Altagracia, a blend of 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, and 6% Petit Verdot. It is much more fruit-forward than its bigger sibling, but definitely displays the Eisele Vineyard style in its deep purple color, sweet nose of flowers, crushed rocks, blueberries, creme de cassis, and earth, super-sweet tannin, well-integrated acidity, and opulent personality. This gorgeous wine should drink well for 10-15 years, perhaps longer.

Juslyn Vineyards
2003 Cabernet Sauvignon
Spring Mountain Napa Valley

The deep ruby/purple-colored 2003 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate (85% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot) possesses an extra aromatic and flavor dimension as well as a beautiful, medium to full-bodied palate, well-integrated acidity, wood, alcohol, and tannin, and a pure, rich, broad, savory personality. It is a complete wine from a very good vintage for Napa Cabernet. Drink it over the next 12-15+ years.

Sette Ponti
2007 Crognolo
Tuscany

Beautiful aromas of dried cherry, plum and blackberry, with hints of dark chocolate. Full-bodied, with soft, silky tannins and a fruity finish. Balanced and delicious. Sangiovese, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. Best after 2011. Only 7,500 cases made.