The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Annum is done in a very ripe, flashy style. Plump, juicy and forward, it is just beginning to show the first signs of aromatic nuance and complexity. The 2008 has aged impeccably, even if the elevated ripeness of the year is impossible to miss. Most of the fruit came from the J. Davies vineyard on Diamond Mountain.

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Annum is a big, super-ripe wine. This is a decidedly opulent style of Cabernet. Personally, I prefer some of the other wines in the lineup, as the Annum is especially flashy in 2008. Endless layers of dark fruit crescendo to the juicy, intensely rich finish. As outstanding as this is today, it will be even better in a few years' time. The 2008 is 95% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Petit Verdot from J. Davies and Pedregal. Drink: 2013-2023.

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Annum also improved dramatically from last year. Deep, sweet black currant, blackberry, camphor, truffle and graphite aromas jump from the glass of this full-bodied effort. With additional texture and layers as well as a sweet inner core of tannin backed up by extraordinary fruit, depth and glycerin, it should drink well for 15-20 years.

Bright purple. Livelier and more red-fruity than the Napa Valley bottling, displaying redcurrant, cherry and floral scents along with notes of pipe tobacco and dried rose. Juicy, penetrating red and dark berry flavors show impressive purity and vivacity and pick up a spicy quality with air. Taut and linear on the fat-free finish, which lingers with excellent tenacity. This has picked up a lot of energy and high notes since I saw it last year, when it seemed much darker in character.

Very tight, dense and backward, packing lots of fruit and tannins. The up-front flavors, built around dried currant, mineral, graphite, camphor and cedar, are slow to unfold, showing touches of loamy earth and tobacco on the finish. Best from 2013 through 2024.