The 2014 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon called Pleinair is a blend of 95.5% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest tiny quantities of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. It is aged 20 months in 58% new French oak before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. This wine has a similarity to a top-flight St.-Julien from Bordeaux. Loads of Christmas fruitcake, cedar wood, tobacco leaf, black currants and spice box all jump from the glass and from the flavors of this round, juicy, medium to full-bodied wine with silky tannins. Drink it over the next 15 or so years.

Mortar and a taste of black-olive tapenade ride softly layered waves of leathery tannin and peppery clove in this richly balanced wine that features tension between notes of cedar and cured meat. Focused and full bodied, it’ll do well in the cellar; drink now through 2023. Cellar Selection.

A reduction of tar and meaty leather at first overrides elusive fruit in this 100% varietal wine. It’s alluring nonetheless, for its soft tannins and toasted hits of oak. Currant, clove and tobacco give a savory, compelling and complex edge to the full-bodied frame.

Quiet and aromatically floral, this is a wine given time in both stainless steel and concrete, as well as a sizable percentage of neu¬tral French oak. Lemon zest and grapefruit adorn a robust body of stony minerality and touches of spicy lemongrass.

A monster red, the 2010 Petite Sirah comes from the Wood Ranch Vineyard. Its inky/purple color is accompanied by aromas of incense, charcoal, pepper, graphite, blueberries and blackberries. Aged 27 months in a combination of French and American oak, this wine possesses full-bodied power, enormous weight and richness in the mouth, and 30+ years of longevity.

The Surprise of 2015 in Napa and Other California Wine Reviewed A soft and pretty red now with chocolate, berry and currant character. Full body, round tannins and a delicious finish. Layered and rich style. Delicious. Drink now.

Fleshy yet subtle, full-bodied yet balanced Californian red wine. Loaded with ripe black plum notes on the nose. Lots of layers of pleasure. This wine is made mostly from Merlot grapes with some Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Syrah. Specifically, there's 81% Merlot, along with 11% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Petit Verdot in the blend sources from vineyards such as Stage Coach, Keyes, Red Barn Ranch and Bosche. Long, satisfying pleasant finish. Decant for an hour for maximum pleasure. This reputable California producer is no slouch when it comes to balanced and delicious Merlot. Lots of dark fruit and toasty oak. Pair with grilled pork chops.

The 2012 Merlot Bosché Vineyard is a blend of 98% Merlot and 2% Cabernet Sauvignon from a famous vineyard in Rutherford. It exhibits a deep purple color along with sweet coffee bean, black cherry, blackcurrant, plum and loamy soil notes, and medium to full body. Drink this ripe, tasty beauty over the next decade.

Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines Curious aromas of blackcurrants, smoked meat and tar follow through to a full body, round tannins, and a juicy finish. Shows balance and freshness. Everything in the right place now. Just starting to take on some herb and mushroom character.

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford, a blend of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Petit Verdot, 3% Merlot and 1% Cabernet Franc, kicks off with a beautiful red and purple flower perfume over a core of red and black currants and tilled loam, plus a touch of tapenade. Medium to full-bodied and firmly structured, it has a great concentration of perfumed black fruit, supported by chewy tannins and just enough freshness.

Extremely aromatic with blackberry, lavender and oyster shell. Full body, silky tannins and a flavorful finish. Very fine and focused. The lovely firm tannins line through the center of this wine.

Blackberry, blueberry and walnut aromas. Flowers too. Full body, integrated tannins with layers of fruit and flavor.

This shows hot stones, ash, undertones of citrus, slate and oyster shell. Lots of blue fruit on the palate with licorice character to define the full body, tight yet grippy tannins and fruity yet minerally finish.

The 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Spring Mountain was aged 26 months in French oak and displays a dense purple color and much more suppleness than the Mt. Veeder or Rutherford offerings. The wine has loads of blueberry and blackberry fruit intermixed with white flowers, cocoa and a hint of underbrush. It is dense, full-bodied, chewy and very well-made. Drink it over the next 25 years.

Aromas of blackberries, wet earth and fresh mushrooms follow through to a full body, a dense palate with chewy yet polished tannins and a long, flavorful finish. Hints of tree bark. Solid wine. Drink in 2019.

Dark, deep and concentrated with ripe plum, cassis and spice; lush and long, balanced and rich.

Earthy with dusty loam and forest scents, this wine is intensely rich, with grippy, chewy tannins. Fine-grained oak notes support dark chocolate, clove and tobacco flavors, accented with fruit-forward elements that recall wild blueberry and blackberry. Structured to age, it will be best from 2023 through 2030.

A 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Mount Veeder AVA, the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder is a small cuvée of only 387 cases. It’s a beauty with blueberry, baking spices, sweet toast, white flowers, chocolate and tobacco leaf. Wonderfully majestic fruit, a full-bodied mouthfeel, stunning purity and depth lead to a wine with tremendous opulence and magnetic appeal. Drink it over the next 20+ years.

The blueberry, walnut, shiitake mushroom and stone aromas are impressive. Full body, chewy tannins and a solid core of fruit. Needs two or three years to resolve the tannins but excellent. Try in 2018.

Lush and smooth with juicy style and lovely plum, blueberry and cassis; silky and elegant with balance and classic style; long and lovely.

The 2014 Legacy Proprietary Red is a blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot aged 26 months in 55% new French oak. This is a wine with notes of lead pencil shavings, crushed rock, fresh, unsmoked cigar tobacco as well as blackcurrants and black cherries. Deep, rich, and medium to full-bodied, with finely tuned tannins, it should drink beautifully for 15-20 or more years.

The 2021 Château Lassegue is impressive and has plenty of heft and richness, while still showing the finesse and elegance, as well as freshness, that are the hallmarks of the vintage. Ripe blackberries, cherries, scorched earth, and graphite define the bouquet, and it's medium to full-bodied, has a beautiful mid-palate, ripe, polished tannins, and a great finish. It's well worth seeking out, and I suspect I'd be a happy buyer.

The 2023 Lassègue is terrific. In fact, it is one of the best wines I have tasted here. A rush of inky dark fruit, creme de cassis, mocha, cloves and chocolate are all dialed up to the maximum in this decidedly opulent Saint-Emilion. Lassègue is not at all subtle, but it has a ton to offer for lovers of rich, heady wines. This is the first vintage in which Cabernet Franc drives the blend. Oak impact, thankfully, has been moderated as well. It remains a pretty lush, super-ripe wine, but it is impeccably balanced. This is a terrific effort from Pierre Seillan.

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2023 Lassègue rolls out with eager-to-please scents of kirsch, fresh blackberries, and raspberry coulis leading to hints of spice cake and Sichuan pepper. The medium-bodied palate has a lightly chewy texture with appealing freshness, finishing on a mineral note. The blend is 50% Cabernet Franc, 43% Merlot, and 7% Cabernet Sauvignon, with pH 3.70.

Similar in appearance to the Poet's Peak at this stage and tasted from barrel, the 2021
Cabernet Sauvignon Jackson Estate Trace Ridge is inky with aromas of scorched earth,
cedar, black cherry, and leather. Full-bodied and plush, with ripe tannins, it’s already
expressive, revealing a lush, luxurious texture, satiny notes of mocha and blackberries, and a long, clean finish. It will be great to revisit this next year from bottle.