2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Latro is rich, lush and super-expressive. Black cherry, chocolate, spice, new leather and espresso give the 2017 quite a bit of brooding darkness. There is plenty of Knights Valley savoriness and structure, which means readers will want to cellar the 2017 for at least a few years. This is really expressive and terrific; a wine of great character.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Naissance is bright and finely sculpted, with terrific focus with a range of varietal flavors that open up in the glass. Lemon peel, white flowers, crushed rocks, mint and sage all race out of the glass. I especially like the energy in this Napa Valley Sauvignon Blanc.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Oakville) emerges entirely from the Jackson family's Cardinale estate and shows all of the textural richness that is so common in wines from this part of Oakville. Rich, resonant and creamy with terrific depth, the 2016 is wonderfully sensual and inviting, even in the early going. Time in the glass brings out very pretty red fruit and floral overtones that add freshness. This is an unusually approachable young Cabernet.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosché is a powerful, inward wine that is still recovering from its recent bottling a few months before this tasting. The 2016 is attractive, but not more expressive beyond that.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Pleinair is racy, silky and super-expressive. Sweet floral and spice notes give the 2017 pretty aromatic top notes and brightness. This is a very solid value in the world of Napa Valley Cabernet, marked by plush red fruit and floral notes.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc Equitem offers lovely texture to play off the expressive varietal notes. Orchard fruit, almond, dried flowers and sage all meld together effortlessly. The Equitem has a bit more richness than the Naissance. I would prefer to drink it over the next few years.

2017 & 2018 Napa Valley In Depth The 2016 Cabernet Sauvignon (Napa Valley) is plump, juicy and forward - all characteristics that make it a terrific choice for drinking now and over the next decade or so. Sweet black cherry, plum, new oak, spice, new leather and coffee notes are all pushed forward in this mid-weight, succulent and highly appealing Cabernet.

New Year, New You How Cocooning Can Help You Relax in 2020 Freemark Abbey Cabernet Sauvignon recommended during the segment.

A relatively high-toned nose features mostly red berry fruit aromas that display a top note of menthol. The sleek, detailed and nicely vibrant flavors possess an attractive texture before terminating in a mildly bitter pit fruit-inflected finish. This is delicious and dry in the best sense on the refreshing finish. While it could use a bit more depth, this relatively forward effort is really quite good.

A slightly cooler nose reflects notes of pure and perfumed essence of red pinot fruit that is trimmed in pretty spice nuances. The equally well-delineated flavors possess a sophisticated mouthfeel and good vibrancy, all wrapped in a dusty and, in contrast to the mid-palate, slightly less refined finish that isn’t exactly raspy but neither is it sleek.

Siduri's Edmeades Vineyard Pinot Noir is from a site that’s probably more widely known for robust Zinfandel, and it's a wine that makes me wonder why that’s the case. This is a restrained beauty, with lively tart cherry, dry earth minerality and great finish push where the acidity rings and gets your palate going. An excellent foil for fish or fowl.

This very dark ruby colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Stonestreet opens with a fragrant black cherry bouquet with a hint of black currant, green pepper and blueberry. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, nicely balanced and fruit forward. The flavor profile is a complex blend of blueberry, black cherry and refined minerality with notes of black currant and nicely integrated oak. The finish is dry and moderate refined tannins show very nicely length. This finesse Cab would pair very nicely with a filet mignon.

Anderson Valley is justifiably receiving more attention for their restrained, elegant versions of pinot noir. Located in Mendocino County near the coast this cool climate area produces fine pinot noir that tends to be lower in alcohol and featuring less jammy fruit than some of their more southern cousins. This version by Kendall- Jackson offers delicious strawberry and plum notes and light tannins in a very easy to drink style and affordable style.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Diamond Mountain rolls out of the glass with exuberant warm cassis, blueberry compote and Black Forest cake notes plus hints of exotic spices, wilted roses, black licorice and underbrush with a waft of dusty soil. Full-bodied, rich and beautifully perfumed in the mouth, it has plush tannins and just enough freshness, finishing very long and fragrant. Still very youthful, this beauty still has at least another quarter of a century of cellaring in it! 88 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Very deep garnet-black, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Mount Veeder slowly unfurls to reveal blackcurrant cordial, chocolate-covered cherries and black licorice with nuances of unsmoked cigars, star anise, spice cake and chargrill. Full-bodied, the palate is full-on seductive with ripe, plush tannins and tons of concentrated, expressive black fruit preserves, finishing on a long-lingering licorice note. 952 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective A blend of 78% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Cabernet Franc, 9% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot and 2% Malbec, the 2009 La Joie sports a very deep garnet color. It opens with baked plums, licorice and blackcurrant cordial notes—on steroids—with an undercurrent of oolong tea, aged meats, fragrant earth and new leather plus a waft of black olives. Medium to full-bodied, it delivers mouth-filling evolved black fruits and earthy sparks with a foundation of firm, chewy tannins and soft freshness, finishing long with some herbal accents coming through. 2,400 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Composed of 85% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Franc, 5% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 La Muse gives a deep garnet color and delivers pronounced, profound notes of cigar box, baked cherries, dried mulberries and crème de cassis with hints of truffles, dusty soil and Chinese five spice. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is strutting a lot of exotic spice and savory layers with a chewy frame and mineral-tinged finish. 1,000 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective According to winemaker Christopher Carpenter, the 2009 Proprietary Red Wine was dominated by Mr. Veeder fruit. Deep garnet in color, it gives up bold, confident crème de cassis, baked plums and tobacco notes with suggestions of cast-iron pan, dried herbs and chargrill. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is fresh and lively, with finely grained, plush tannins and bags of evolving black fruit and savory flavors, finishing long and earthy. 1342 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Christopher's Vineyard gives up evolving notes of Black Forest cake, baked blackcurrants, dried mulberries and fallen leaves with touches of leather, camphor, roasted nuts and dusty soil with a waft of pencil shavings. Full-bodied, concentrated and wonderfully layered in the mouth, it has firm, very fine-grained tannins and bold freshness, finishing very long and mineral laced. 360 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Dakota Vineyard explodes from the glass with wonderfully profound, expressive notions of baked plums, Black Forest cake, chargrill, molten rocks, tapenade and woodsmoke with nuances of dried flowers, bay leaves, truffles and unsmoked cigars. Full-bodied and firm, with fantastic freshness, the palate is laden with black fruit preserves and savory layers, finishing on a lingering savory note. 800 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Very deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Helena Montana Vineyard gives up a gorgeous fragrance of dried roses, oolong tea, underbrush and spice cake over a core of minted cassis, blackberry compote, star anise and preserved plums. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a wonderful savory personality with a firm frame of chewy tannins and just enough freshness, finishing on a persistent mineral note. 1000 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Bosche Vineyard has a very deep garnet color, delivering a gorgeous nose of lilacs, dark chocolate, blackcurrant pastilles and blueberry compote with nuances of cloves, cigar box, menthol and black olives. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is still very youthful, sporting loads of black fruit preserves and mineral sparks, framed by plush tannins and finishing long with a minty lift. 560 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Very deep garnet colored, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Sycamore Vineyards opens with bold notions of crème de cassis, baked blackberries, boysenberries and dried mulberries with wafts of chocolate mint, underbrush, new leather and tobacco leaf. Full-bodied, rich and spicy, the palate features velvety tannins and plenty of freshness to carry the spices to a long finish. 500 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective The 2009 Le Desir is a blend of 74% Cabernet Franc, 13% Merlot, 9% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Malbec. Deep garnet in color, it possesses a maturing, flamboyant nose of plum preserves, mulberries and Black Forest cake with underlying cassis, pencil shavings, tilled soil and fallen leaves scents, plus wafts of leather and tobacco. Firm, medium to full-bodied and densely packed with taut, evolving fruit, it has loads of mineral sparks and a long, chewy finish. 1,500 cases were made.

USA, California, Napa Valley: 2009 Napa Valley Cabernet Retrospective Deep garnet in color, the 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Rockfall opens slowly to reveal notions of baked plums, warm blackcurrants and blackberry preserves with touches of Chinese five spice, potpourri, cigar box and tree bark plus a waft of aniseed. Medium to full-bodied, the palate has a beautiful velvety texture and plenty of freshness supporting the generous black fruit preserves, finishing long and perfumed. Still has loads of life! 505 cases were made.