Cristaldi’s 50: top 2019 Napa Cabernets to buy
Wines are listed by points scored, then alphabetically by producer. The appellations given are those marked on the label; many producers choose to use the generic Napa Valley AVA even though their wines could be classified under one of the 16 sub-AVAs. Stockists and prices are shown where available – some UK allocations may not have been set, some wines will not be exported, and some may have sold out. For availability updates, contact specialist merchants.
AXR, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, Napa Valley 100
Deep layers of gravelly, alluvial loam soils play a critical factor in the low pH levels from Cabernet grapes harvested here, says winemaker Jean Hoefliger. Expressive black cherry and blackberry fruit finds nuanced tobacco and cedar, alongside dried rose petal aromas. A pillar of restraint, with pure and vivid red- and black-toned fruit, fine cedar-rich tannins framed by lively acidity. Brightens tremendously over several hours, revealing classic graphite, blackberry and black cherry notes layered with baking spices and crushed stones. Drink 2024-2060 Alcohol 15.1%
Harlan Estate, Napa Valley 100
POA WoodWinters
Fresh and approachable, with the elegance and structural integrity to last four or five decades, possibly longer. On the nose, beautiful upfront savouriness reveals cassis notes, cigar box and black olive followed by ripe, fresh black and blue fruit. Mesmerising depth of flavours, with beautiful creamy black and red berries and a deep vein of earthy minerality. Tannins are angular with impressive grip, while acids are firm and refreshing. The finish offers nuanced blackcurrant, dark chocolate, enticing tobacco and cedar. Drink 2022-2060 Alc 14.5%
1 Lithology, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, Oakville 100
£233 (ib) Cru
Entirely estate fruit (10% Cabernet Franc) comprising beautiful rich berry scents, oak, crushed rocks and a saline minerality tinged with dark chocolate. Enveloping, full and broad-shouldered. Saturated dark berry fruit, chocolate layer cake, vanilla and dried Provence herbs round out this Cabernet with its fierce tannins that are nicely integrated. Drink 2022-2050 Alc 15%
Screaming Eagle, Oakville 100
£3,180 (ib)-£4,500 Alex Marton, Cru, Crump Richmond Shaw, Four Corners, Hedonism, Ideal
Wine Co, Nemo Wine Cellars, Turville Valley,
Vintage California, Vinum, Wineye
Power and intensity balanced by so much freshness, tension and energy – quite remarkable. Beautifully delineated black and blue fruits, pops of red berries, coupled with fresh violets and rose petals, liquorice and sagebrush. Broad, mouthfilling with a lovely mid-palate density and fine-grained, focused tannins. Perfectly complete with a long finish punctuated by chaparral, dried herbs and spearmint. Trademark freshness and depth that Screaming Eagle wines offer year after year. Drink 2022-2052 Alc 14.8%
2 Vine Hill Ranch, VHR, Oakville 100
Fresh, enticing aromas of sappy red and black fruits, leather, sandalwood, cassis, violets and sweet cedar. Brimming with elegance in its finely delineated fruit notes that lead with blackberry and black cherry morphing into tangy red fruit and currants. Featherweight tannins; a wealth of savoury mineral character floods the mid-palate like liquified granite. It keeps giving: wild herbs, sagebrush, bittersweet chocolate, brown spices. One of the more elegant Napa Cabs in this concentrated, darkfruited vintage: beautiful structure and freshness. Drink 2022-2050 Alc 14.8%
3 Bond, Vecina, Napa Valley 99
POA WoodWinters
An east-facing 4.4ha site, just southeast of Bond winery on Oakville’s western foothills. This multidimensional red teems with energy, giving off a savoury black-fruited nose, turning compact on the palate with muscular tannins, hints of blue-toned fruits, and a host of wild herbs redolent of the surrounding live oaks and chaparral. Finishes with rich terracotta earth notes. Drink 2024-2050 Alc 14.5%
Chateau Montelena, The Montelena Estate, Calistoga 99
The flagship wine of Chateau Montelena sourced from the winery’s estate vineyard. Bright red-toned fruits and dried wild herb notes are tethered to rich cedar spices. Impressive depth and concentration, particularly evident in a mid-palate weighted by crushed stones and earthen minerality. Elongated tannins are crisp while acids are firm and tangy. Those capable of looking past its upfront approachability will be rewarded with patience as this wine will evolve and shine over the next four decades. Drink 2022-2060 Alc 14.1%
Harbison, Horseshoe, Oakville 99
Joe and Pat Harbison’s west-facing block is named for all the horseshoes dug up while planting the site for Clone 7 Cabernet. Jean Hoefliger makes the wines, which offers a heady aroma of ripe strawberries drizzled with raspberry coulis and an iron-like minerality. Succulent red and black fruits, sweet sage, loads of mineral character, chocolate, underscored by fine, silky tannins. Compelling and utterly seamless, finishing long with flourishes of sandalwood, florals and savoury brown spices. Drink 2022-2045 Alc 14.9%
Schrader Cellars, CCS Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, Napa Valley 99
From the C1 block of Beckstoffer To Kalon. Lush, generous fruit but with structure – all the elements amplified but in equal proportions. Explosive nose of rich black fruits, black olive, dried wild herbs and baking spices. Incredibly textural with pixelated, three-dimensional tannins,
finishing with pops of dried tobacco and purple-red florals. A joy to drink but among the most collectible and cellarworthy wines of the vintage. Drink 2022-2050 Alc 14.5%
4 Tor, Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard, Napa Valley 99
£319 (ib) Crop & Vine
A beautifully tight-knit wine that will serve as a benchmark for this iconic vineyard in decades to come. Rich, heady aromas of elegant red and black fruits, crushed stones, earth, tobacco and chocolate, all coming together on the palate in perfect harmony. Palate-etching tannins mingle with sweet cedar, herbs and crushed cocoa nibs. The alcohol is marvellously balanced by a firm backbone of refreshing acidity, and the fruit-driven finish is endless. A real tour de force. Drink 2022-2050 Alc 15.3%
Accendo Cellars, Napa Valley 98
Made at Wheeler Farms, the ‘Rolls Royce of custom crush facilities’, as described by Accendo winemaker Nigel Kinsman. Grapes (including 9% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot) are sourced from Vine Hill Ranch, Sleeping Lady in Rutherford, Ecotone (a former Abreu property), and a site on Diamond Mountain formerly known as Reverie. Generous blackberry aromas tinged with wild herbs and heady cedar spices. Broad and expansive palate, saturated dark fruit, cassis, graphite and wild herbs. Rustic, elongated tannins glide to a savoury finish. Drink 2022-2045 Alc 14.8%
Ad Vivum, Sleeping Lady Vineyard, Yountville 98
The personal project of winemaker Chris Phelps of Inglenook. Seductively fresh, giving up earth, black fruit, dried thyme and brown baking spices with hints of tobacco. Full-bodied on entry, striking a lovely balance between saturated black- and blue-toned fruit with savoury wild herbs, conifer and earth, just hinting at spearmint, and bolstered by fine-grained tannins and a firm acid backbone. Long, layered and cellarworthy. Drink 2022-2042 Alc 14%
Cliff Lede, Poetry, Stags Leap District 98
POA Four Corners
After 21 months in 80% new French oak barrels, this Cabernet-based blend was selected from the best lots of Cliff Lede’s Poetry Vineyard. Superbly elegant, with savoury dark berry aromas, lavender and dried sage, a hint of smoke and grilled meat. Off-the-charts richness unfolds in seductive waves of sweet, ripe black and blue fruits. Seamless integration, almost feathery tannins framed by a refreshing but firm acid backbone. A Cabernet with real gravitas and dimension. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 14.4%
Dalla Valle Vineyards, Oakville 98
£216 (ib) Four Corners
Deep, dark and alluring nose of black fruit, rich cedar and cigar box (23% Cabernet Franc). Well built, beautiful and balanced, with deeply concentrated yet fresh and ripe flavours of blackberry, cassis and fleshy plum, unspooling with lifted acidity, tobacco, wet slate, river stones, dark chocolate and an endless finish. A delicious wine, framed by very fine and elegant tannins. Finishes with energy and freshness. A joy to drink. Biodynamic. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 14.8%
Kinsman Eades, La Voleuse du Chagrin, Calistoga 98
From a 0.55ha plot adjacent to Eisele Vineyard comes this 100% Cabernet by Nigel Kinsman. Incredibly lavish nose of cedar, wild herbs and tobacco. Full-bodied,
rich and layered with blackberry and blueberry fruit, crushed stones and herbs, supported by a mouthcoating framework of pixelated tannins and a finish that goes on and on. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 14.5%
5 Levy & McClellan, Red Wine, Napa Valley 98
£574 (ib) Four Corners
Harlan winemaker Bob Levy prefers the oak profile of Taransaud for his personal project, which includes Cabernet Franc and a splash of Merlot from his 2.5ha estate site. The wine is aged up to 30 months in oak. Pristine black fruit meets cumin and sage, classic graphite and new-wood cedar spice. Saturated dark black and blue fruit with long, textural tannins. Fresh and compact, this is one for the long haul. Released in spring 2023. Drink 2022-2045 Alc 14.5%
6 Lokoya, Howell Mountain 98
£480.68 Cru, Four Corners
Incredibly rich and opulent. Sumptuous aromas of cassis, boysenberry, blackberry and mountain herbs. The vivid dark berry fruit, deep and penetrating, is accompanied by a tapestry of granular mountain tannins that are long and laced with a saline minerality. The finish reveals a plethora of pie spices, blueberry compote, chocolate and very fine oak. A powerhouse Cabernet, pleasure-packed. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 15%
Spottswoode, St Helena 98
£252.68 Mann Fine Wine
Vivid aromas of ripe strawberry, sagebrush, coriander cream and cedar. Silken waves of red berry fruit (6.5% Cabernet Franc, 4% Petit Verdot), leather, brown spices and featherweight tannins glide to a long finish punctuated by deep saline mineral notes. The epitome of elegance and beauty supported by such a firm backbone of juicy acidity as to age beautifully over time. Organic (certified biodynamic from the 2020 vintage). Drink 2024-2040 Alc 13.9%
The Setting, Glass Slipper Vineyard, Coombsville 98
Rich nose with high-toned, cast-iron mineral notes, fresh, ripe dark berry fruit, deep loamy earth and rich toasty oak spices. Deeply concentrated palate with saturated red and black fruits framed by long, satiny tannins that resolve beautifully. It remains surprisingly light through a finish lifted by refreshing acidity and flourishes of spicy herbal notes, tinged with salted dark chocolate. In late 2021, a six-litre bottle of this wine sold for $1m at a US charity auction. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 14.8%
Beaulieu Vineyard, Georges de Latour Private Reserve, Napa Valley 97
£125 Widely available via independent merchants An iconic Napa Valley wine, today produced by Trevor Durling, following in the footsteps of the great André Tchelistcheff. In keeping with recent vintages, which have been very compact on release, this 2019 (9% Petit Verdot) is reticent on the nose with fresh cedar, wild herbs and blackberry fruit. Full, round and robust with saturated black and blueberry fruit, currants, graphite and coffee bean. Weighty but with tremendous tension and energy. Drink 2024-2045 Alc 14.7%
7 Diamond Creek, Red Rock Terrace, Napa Valley 97
£183.33 (ib)-£285 Christopher Keiller, Handford, Turville Valley
Coming from an iron-rich, rocky 2.8ha north-facing site, this velvety Cabernet blend (16% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 4% Malbec, 1% Cabernet Franc) is packed with dark rich raspberry, cherry and blackberry fruit with pops of spearmint and eucalyptus. Elegant on the palate with emerging cocoa notes and blueberry brightness, building tannins with a firm backbone of acidity. Drink 2022-2050 Alc 14.5%
Julien Fayard, Sleeping Lady Vineyard, Yountville 97
Inky black fruits and cedar spices lift out of the glass. Full, enveloping and layered with dark black fruits and cedar spice, black olive and white pepper, with a gamey note. Robust tannins have a powerful grip, giving way to crushed rock and a long sweetfruited finish. Drink 2022-2045 Alc 14.9%
8 O’Shaughnessy Estate, Howell Mountain 97
POA Four Corners
A knockout 2019 from winemaker Sean Capiaux! Explosive aromas of ripe, black fruit, wild mountain sage, turned earth and toasty oak. Enveloping on the palate with an intricate mix of black cherry, blackberry and blueberry moving into more savoury notes of crushed stones, cassis and wildflowers. Long and vibrant, a powerful core of firm fine-grained tannins. Great cellar potential. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 14.8%
Robert Mondavi, The Reserve, To Kalon Vineyard, Oakville 97
This wine has proved to be one of Napa’s longest-lived reds. The nose may be characteristically reticent, but the upfront appeal of the vintage shows in the vivid ripe cherry and boysenberry aromas laced with vanilla, graphite and cedar. It’s expansive on the palate, with energy and poise, savoury herbs, brown spices and a crushed stone salinity. Very fine, pixelated tannins resolve in a long, spicy finish that builds with notes of chocolate and crushed flowers. Drink 2022-2032 Alc 14.9%
9 Covenant, Solomon Lot 70, Napa Valley 96
Alluring and fresh, leading with heady violet florals, leather, baking spices, espresso and pink peppercorn. A lush and creamy texture reveals sweet dark fruit, clove and bittersweet chocolate with building tannins that are long and satiny. A real beauty. Winemaker Jeff Morgan also plays a mean saxophone – and this Cabernet is like a cool jazz solo from Stan Getz. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 14.5%
10 Inglenook, Rubicon, Rutherford 96
£141.67 (ib)-£206.67 Widely available Seductive crushed cocoa nibs, dark coffee beans, blackberry and boysenberry. Fabulously full, blended with 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot. Layered with a wealth of silken red- and black-toned fruit flavours, supported by sturdy fine tannins that glide effortlessly over the palate. A cascade of salty mineral notes, earth and dried florals flow through a bright beam of acidity. Long, succulent and complex. Drink 2022-2036 Alc 14.1%
11 Paul Hobbs, Coombsville 96
£104.99 Alliance Wine, The Fine Wine Co, Vinvm One of the most elegant Cabernets of the 2019 vintage. From various Coombsville sites, this blend of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 6% Petit Verdot and 2% Merlot is teeming with minerality, baking spices, toasted cedar and rich red berry aromas. Impressively vibrant, unfolding with fragrant rose petal notes contrasted by fresh gravelly tones. A dusty tannin backbone is framed by firm acidity, while the round fruit profile is almost buoyant. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 14.8%
Davies Vineyards, Diamond Mountain 95
From the Davies family, proprietors of Schramsberg. Fragrant dark berry fruit (10%
Malbec, 2% Merlot, 2% Petit Verdot), sweet liquorice, delicate wild herbs, toffee and espresso bean notes. Supple dark berry and lighter strawberry-rhubarb fruit, baking spices and chicory, all reveal an expressive wine framed by sinewy mountain tannin and rich toasty oak, with flourishes of cacao and purple florals. Drink 2022-2038 Alc 14.9%
JH Wheeler, Napa Valley 95
The third vintage produced of this 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, sourced from five different sites. Lovely floral notes, dark fruits, graphite and cedar aromas find earthy companion flavours on the palate. Full-bodied with dusty tannins and a penetrating black fruit richness of sweet cassis, green olive nuances and cured meats. Ample energy and poise. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 14.6%
12 Lail Vineyards, Blueprint, Napa Valley 95
£66 Four Corners
Robin Lail’s snapshot of Napa Valley, sourced from sites in Oakville, Rutherford and St Helena, and including 4% Petit Verdot. A classic nose of blackberry, graphite and rich oak spices tinged with cinnamon. Weighty, saturated black-toned fruit on the palate gives way to a panoply of wild herbs and chocolate, framed by fine-grained tannins and a long, lingering finish. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 15.2%
Pahlmeyer, Proprietary Red, Napa Valley 95
A Napa Valley staple, Pahlmeyer was sold to E&J Gallo in 2019 and winemaker Katie Vogt is currently in charge. The 2019 blend
includes 15% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot and 3% Cabernet Franc. Decadent black fruit aromas are supercharged with lavish oak, tinged with leather and vanilla. Rich and opulent, with lacy black fruits, fine-grained tannins, pops of minty freshness, chocolate and wet river stones. With Gallo’s resources, it will be one to watch over the coming years. Drink 2022-2045 Alc 15.2%
Stags’ Leap, The Leap, Stags Leap District 95
Fragrant rose petal, plum, cherry liqueur and currant notes with sandalwood. Mediumbodied on the palate with lush red berry fruit marked by white pepper, sage and tobacco leaf. The flagship Cabernet from this estate is one of the more finesse-driven Cabernets of the vintage. Drink 2022-2036 Alc 14.1%
The Debate, Artalade Montagna, Napa Valley 95
From Artalade vineyard on Pritchard Hill. Rich dark fruit notes with seductive bay leaf, thyme and sage, tinged with dried red florals. Has rich apple-skin tannins, with brandied Morello cherry and an iron-like minerality that carries through. Produced by Jean Hoefliger, who started The Debate wines in 2010 with Rob McKay to celebrate the idea of social discourse and debate over a meal. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 15.2%
Baker & Hamilton, Oakville 94
The inaugural release of Baker & Hamilton from Bruce Phillips, whose family owns
Vine Hill Ranch in Oakville, source of the Cabernet grapes for the 2019. Powerful and intricate aromas of black cherry, chocolate, black peppercorns, pencil shavings and lavish oak. Medium-bodied on entry and more restrained than the nose: delicate boysenberry, raspberry and candied cherry framed by an iron-like minerality. Tannins are fleshy and supple, a touch smoky on the finish. One to watch. Drink 2022-2028 Alc 14.8%
Corison, St Helena 94
£95 Roberson
Alluring aromas of dark cassis, graphite, cedar and wild herbs. It has a striking depth with layered flavours and texture, and while restrained now it is incredibly well built and will shine with time in the cellar. Reveals subtle hints of fresh black and blue berries, currants and dried herbs tinged with red florals. Finishes with polish, energy and poise. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 13.8%
De Négoce, Lot 250 Hillside, Rutherford 94
This label from Cameron Hughes aims to maximise his longtime wine-country connections in the négociant model. Rich aromas of black cherry, cedar, purple florals, graphite and cinnamon, then juicy blackberry, black cherry and more graphite notes on the palate, with a warm, toasty baking spice finish. Blended with 3% Merlot. One of the top-value wines of the vintage. Drink 2022-2030 Alc 14.9%
Grounded Wine Co, Steady State by Josh Phelps, Napa Valley 94
Richly scented blackcurrant, earth and savoury oak spices. Broad and enveloping palate with a medium-full body, leading with blackcurrants, peppercorn, tobacco and cedar. Lovely fine-grained tannins and a firm backbone of natural acidity make for a refreshing red – altogether an outstanding value Cabernet (with 10% Petit Verdot, 3% Cabernet Franc, 1% Malbec and Merlot). Drink 2022-2030 Alc 14.5%
Joseph Phelps, Napa Valley 94
Typically powerfully built, this vintage (with 3% Cabernet Franc, 2% Merlot, 1% Malbec) spent 18 months in a mix of 48% new
French and American oak. All the classic underpinnings are there, from blackberry and graphite to scented wild herbs, crème de cassis and cedar, accompanied by gobs of palate-coating, sculpted tannins. Finishes with notes of espresso, cured meat and violets. Drink 2022-2036 Alc 14.5%
Merryvale, St Helena 94
Incredibly ripe blue fruit aromas and perfumed violets leap from the glass (11% Cabernet Franc). The palate is full, rich and laden with creamy black fruit, a graphite mineral tang and granular grippy tannins, finishing with a dusting of dried herbs, cocoa powder and lifted dried purple florals. Organic. Drink 2022-2038 Alc 14.7%
13 Patel, Napa Valley 94
From owner Raj Patel, made by Julien Fayard. Tremendously rich with powerful grippy tannins that arrest the palate and unfold in layers of fresh blueberry, blackberry compote and milk chocolate. A long, berry-driven finish is punctuated by graphite, fresh cedar and sagebrush. Drink 2022-2038 Alc 14.2%
Stony Hill, Napa Valley 94
Subtle aromas of blue fruit, dusty redcurrants, vanilla and sweet cedar. Medium-bodied with gentle acidity, a dusty tannin backbone and notes of cranberry, boysenberry, sandalwood and nutmeg. Its delicate elegance belies its longevity – this will cellar nicely and reveal further pretty complexities in a decade or more. Drink 2022-2040 Alc 14%
Tayson Pierce, Stagecoach Vineyard, Napa Valley 94
From proprietors Eric and Susan Rothschild and winemaker Jeff Ames. Vivid blackberry, cassis, graphite and violets giving way to classic Stagecoach chaparral aromas. Impressive depth of concentration with ripe blackberry and blueberry fruit leading the charge on the full-bodied, seamless palate. Tremendous freshness, while grippy yet lithe tannins glide to a lengthy finish, marked by subtle capsicum, tobacco and cocoa nibs. Quite lovely. Drink 2022-2036 Alc 14.9%
Turnbull, Amoenus Vineyard, Calistoga 94
Pure red cherry, plum and blackberry aromas with cinnamon-laced cedar. Full-bodied with waves of silken crème de cassis, tobacco, mint and chocolate, framed by long, satin tannins and a deeply earthy finish. Just 18 barrels were produced of this single-vineyard Cabernet, the blend including 4% each of Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Drink 2022-2036 Alc 14.5%
14 Faust, The Pact, Coombsville 93
Pronounced aromas of brandied cherry, caramel and espresso bean. There’s real fruit density here, but it’s not overripe, cloying or heavy – it is balletic, showing lovely grace and energy. Juicy red and black fruits emerge on the palate, exotic brown spices, framed by fine cedar-tinged tannins with a stony minerality on the finish. Drink 2022-2030 Alc 14.8%
Girard, Calistoga 93
Winemaker Glenn Hugo sources most of his Cabernet grapes from the Tenma vineyard in northeastern Calistoga, where vines are planted atop an ancient fluvial fan. Heady dark fruit, cocoa nibs and cedar spice aromas give way to a juicy, weighty mid-palate marked by black cherry and fleshy plums. Muscular tannins are balanced by good acidity, and whispers of purple florals lift the finish. Drink 2022-2030 Alc 15%
15 Newton, The Puzzle, Napa Valley 93
Production of this cuvée (includes 8% Cabernet Franc and 7% Merlot) was dramatically reduced in 2020 because of the Glass Fire. Lavish toasty oak spices are joined by sweet black fruit, tobacco leaf and dried rose petals. Ample dark fruit flavours unfold alongside savoury black olive, liquorice and mocha. Rich mountain tannins are tamed by a lively acid backbone. Drink 2022-2032 Alc 14.4%
Smith-Madrone, Spring Mountain 93
£68
Stu and Charles Smith’s 2019 vintage is a bit backward and could use another year or two to integrate. Still, all the trappings of a great wine are there: subtle dark berry fruit, wild mountains herbs and a pretty capsicum nose. Full-bodied, the palate has ample acidity and freshness, revealing green tobacco, blackcurrant, earth and crushed stone minerality. Drink 2024-2050 Alc 14.3%
16 Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars, Artemis, Napa Valley 93
£50 (ib)-£82.50 Cult & Boutique, Millésima,
Noble Green, North & South, Perfect Cellar,
T Wright, The Great Wine Co, Wine Direct
Dark black fruit, brighter blue fruit and lavish oak spices fill the nose. Medium-bodied yet rich, with juicy blackberry and black cherry fruit, plums, sweet baking spices, chalky minerality, a satiny milk chocolate texture and fine tannins. Expressive and lengthy. Drink 2022-2032 Alc 14.5%
Ehlers Estate, Jean Leducq, St Helena 92
Generous strawberry and cherry fruit edging into underripe blackberry, cassis and graphite on the nose, with hints of coffee bean and cinnamon-tinged oak. Pronounced burly tannins arrest a palate that is then flooded with juicy black and blue fruit. This full-bodied red is well built and finishes with a sweet vanilla and dark chocolate note. Drink 2022-2030 Alc 14.5%
Rombauer, Napa Valley 91
Rich, dark-fruited nose, black olive, wild herbs, cedar freshness (4% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot). Plenty of creamy black fruit and cassis on the palate segues to traces of chocolate, crushed rocks and baking spices. A fashionable red, with good weight and texture that delivers lots of upfront drinking pleasure. Drink 2022-2030 Alc 14.8%