This very dark garnet colored Cabernet Sauvignon from Ramey is Excellent. It opens with an attractive blueberry and eucalyptus bouquet with a hint of boysenberry and faint cedar. On the palate, this wine is full bodied, balanced and fruit forward. The flavor profile is a complex blend of boysenberry and black raspberry with notes of spice. I also detected hints of blueberry, black licorice, minerality, mocha and faint oak. The finish is dry and its moderate well managed tannins fade away nicely. This Cab is very food friendly and would pair well with filet mignon. Enjoy – Ken

David doesn’t apologize for the tannins in this Cab. The classicism in his winemaking philosophy is fully evident here, as you absolutely must wait, and wait a relatively long time (about 8-10 years from the vintage), for the Annum to fully evolve. In a world where on-demand and instant gratification is a way of life, this Cab could be called a throwback. Styled as a Pauillac (e.g. Pichon Baron, Lynch-Bages, Pontet Canet), there is great structure to this wine, and the hallmark flavor notes of Pauillac—blackberry, cassis, coffee, licorice, among others—are all here. There is rich density to the texture but also a soft touch. This isn’t a mere imitation of a great Bordeaux, but a unique California interpretation of one from a visionary winemaker.

A firm, dense, powerful Cabernet, offering chewy dried berry, sage, underbrush, cedary oak and anise flavors, gaining on the finish, where the flavors are expansive and persistent. Drink now through 2029.—J.L.

This is a cabernet with lots of currant and berry character. Full and rich. Long finish. Savory. Drink or hold.

A blend of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc from a sweet vineyard spot near Dalle Valle, this is a lovely, softly textured wine. Shy on the nose yet powerful on the palate, it offers a burst of tightly wound tannin and leather at the fore. Chocolate and dried herb with a layering of black licorice give it a dark complexion and build. Be sure to mellow…