Napa Valley’s Extraordinary 2016 Cabernets - Part 1 The 2016 Merlot is a powerful, authoritative wine that conveys plenty of Mt. Veeder intensity, especially in its structure. Savory, deep and also quite tannic, the 2016 will benefit from a few years in bottle to fully come together. There is no shortage of depth or character here, that much is obvious.

Rich purple color. Gorgeous aromatics of crunchy red and black currants and cherries, along with warm mulling spices and complex elements of cedar, graphite, minerals and loamy soil. Full-bodied with suave but structured tannins and fresh acidity — lovely balance. Black cherries, plums, currants, lovely depth of fruit but it’s crunchy and fresh, too. Complex flavors of earth, tobacco, sage, graphite and clove, some savory mushroom notes underneath. Gorgeous depth and complexity, I would love to cellar this for a decade. All Merlot, aged 22 months in 95% new French oak, from vines planted at 1,7000 feet in elevation.

Bright purple color. Gorgeous aromatic blend of red and black currants and crunchy plums, mixed with violets, espresso, potting soil, tobacco, some pencil lead. Vibrant acidity, structured tannins, a velvety feel that is both deep and fresh at the same time. Tart black cherries, blackberry and juicy cherries come in waves, and the fruit is backed up by graphite, cocoa powder, espresso, rich earth, charcoal and pencil shavings notes. Complex, rich but also vibrant – although this has years of development in the cellar. Beautiful mountain vineyard Merlot. All Merlot aged 19 months in French oak.

A brilliant Merlot, showing the intense complexity of its mountain terroir. There’s a briary wildness to the blackberry and cassis liqueur flavors that’s molten in concentration. Sweet, toasty oak provides additional richness. Very fine, but needs time. Give it 5–6 years to mellow.

Mt. Brave's 2015 Cabernet Franc is a huge, massively tannic wine that is going to need a number of years to shed some of its formidable mountain tannin. There is so much power and pure density here. The Franc is really best described as a mountain wine, while varietal character lies more in the background. The inky dark fruit and spice flavors are nicely delineated throughout.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cabernet Franc Mt. Veeder gives a pretty nose of kirsch, cranberry preserves and mulberries with touches of potpourri, baking spices and rose hip tea. Medium to full-bodied, very fresh, finely textured and elegant in the mouth, the fruit is oh-so-beautifully perfumed, finishing long and spicy.

Floral, with loads of black raspberry and blueberry fruit, the 2014 Cabernet Franc is 85.5% Cabernet Franc and the rest Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 64% new French oak. The flowery characteristics are pure Cabernet Franc, and that follows through to the beautiful texture of the wine, which is deep and intense, but never seems all that heavy (which is why Cabernet Franc is so different from Merlot or Cabernet Sauvignon). There is terrific uplift and vibrancy in this wine, which can be drunk now or cellared for another 15 or more years.

Napa Valley’s Extraordinary 2016 Cabernets - Part 1 The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Mount Veeder) is incredibly primary at this stage. Crème de cassis, plum, spice, bittersweet chocolate, menthol, licorice and leather all run through this plush yet structured, inviting Cabernet Sauvignon.

Napa 2016 Vintage: 5 Consecutive Years of Fantastic Wines Aromas of blackberries, blueberries and blackcurrants follow through to a full body and chewy tannins. So much character and intensity. Muscular and gorgeous. Needs two to three years to soften.

This pitch-black colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Mt. Brave won our Big Blind Tasting. It opens with an oak and blackberry bouquet. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, rich and balanced. The flavor profile is an extracted blackberry and oak blend with notes of integrated minerality. We also detected hints of black tea and black olives. The finish is very dry and its monster dusty tannins stick around for quite a while. This Cab could sit in your cellar for a while. It will also reward you for your patience. In the short term, you could decant it and pair it with Roy’s rib roast.

Small amounts of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Malbec are blended into this impressive wine, which is reduced slightly on the nose. The flavors of cassis and red cherry turn juicy and tart on the midpalate before exposing complex lengths of tobacco and clove. This wine will be best enjoyed in time, so shoot for 2020 through 2024.

Sourced from the Mt. Brave Vineyard, perched at roughly 1500 feet, this inky colored wine is crafted by superstar winemaker Chris Carpenter, who has been making this wine since 2007. The Cabernet opens with a rich bouquet of crème de cassis, boysenberry cordial, milk chocolate shavings and coffee grounds. Ripe and decadent, dark fruit flavors connect with mocha and spices. The Mount Veeder terroir shines through in this outstanding Cabernet. Try to give this gorgeous wine another few years in the bottle to fully evolve.

The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon is a blend of 82% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot and the rest Malbec and Cabernet Franc, aged in 80% new French oak. Floral notes intermixed with blueberry and black raspberry fruit as well as blackcurrants jump from the glass of this wine, which has full body and terrific texture, purity and length. Drink it over the next 15-20 years.

Absolutely stunning, the 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder is a beauty. Notes of charcoal, blueberry liqueur, black currants, licorice, incense and violets jump from the glass of this 93.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3.5% Merlot and 3% Cabernet Franc blend that was aged in 91% new French oak. This full-bodied 2011 is a tremendous success for the vintage, again reflecting that mountain sites often did very well, and taste like a completely different vintage than the valley floor 2011s. This savory, fleshy wine has low acidity and ripe tannin, so it can be drunk now or cellared for a decade or more.

There is a purity of fruit here with blackberry, blueberry and licorice character. Full body with firm tannins and fresh, lively finish. Exceptional for 2011. Big surprise. Try in 2017.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is surprisingly accessible for a Mount Veeder Cabernet. Dark raspberries, flowers, mint and new leather flesh out in this exciting large-scaled wine. I especially like the density, richness and roundness here. In other words, this is a beautifully balanced, harmonious wine from Chris Carpenter. The 2010 is predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with a dollop of Merlot and Cabernet Franc, aged in 19% new French oak barrels.

With raspingly dry, hard tannins, this is a difficult Cabernet to assess. It's impressively rich in blackberries and black currants, with a firm minerality, and the overall balance is good. Seems like it should develop over the next decade, maybe even longer, but those tannins might outlast the fruit.

Napa Valley’s Extraordinary 2016 Cabernets - Part 1 The 2016 Malbec from Mt. Brave is inky, deep and explosive. A rush of raspberry jam, white chocolate, spice and rose petal races across the palate. Deep, inky and wonderfully resonant, the 2016 is full of both personality and character. This racy, exuberant red has much to recommend it.

The 2015 Malbec is fabulous. Super-ripe red cherry and plum fruit give the wine its exuberance and allure. Soft, plush and opulent, the 2015 has so much to offer. Floral overtones add brightness to this gorgeous wine from Mt. Brave. All of the Mt. Brave wines are tasty, but the Malbec has an extra kick of intensity that makes it irresistible.

The 2014 Malbec may well turn out to be one of the best Malbecs California has made to date. They have not hit the high points of the finest Malbecs coming from top wineries in Argentina, but wines like this will certainly give notice. A blend of 96% Malbec and 4% Cabernet Sauvignon aged in 53% new French oak, the wine has a dense purple color and a big nose of chocolate, blackberry, espresso bean and spice. It has plenty of intensity, full body, silky tannin and adequate acidity. Drink it over the next 12-15 years.

The 2010 Malbec Mt. Brave is a joyous vibrant wine bursting with fruit. There is an exuberance in the 2010 that makes the wine totally delicious. At the same time, the minerality and linearity of Mt. Veeder come through loud and clear, especially on the finish. Chris Carpenter aged the Malbec in 70% new barrels.

The 2017s From Sonoma A big step up, the 2016 Merlot Bennett Valley offers a deep purple color as well as complex notes of camphor, smoked earth, tobacco, sage, and both black and blue fruits. It’s medium to full-bodied and beautifully balanced, with considerable elegance and a great finish. Almost all Merlot (there’s a splash of Cabernet Sauvignon) aged 18 months in 32% new French oak, it’s a smoking good wine.

The 2015 Journey Red, Matanzas Creek's top Merlot-based wine, is layered with the essence of dark cherry, plum, smoke, tobacco, chocolate and incense. Rich and voluptuous, the 2015 has much to offer. This is an especially soft, sensual style for the vintage.

Smooth, lush and ripe with rich plum, spice and blackberry; dense and complete with lovely depth and balance.

Powerful and pedigreed to the core, the 2012 Merlot Knights Valley is loaded with dark blue and black fruit, graphite, savory herbs, lavender, smoke and licorice. One of the standouts in this range, the 2012 captures the essence of Knights Valley in its power, tension and energy. Like all the Matanzas Creek Merlots, the Knights Valley is quite Old World-leaning.