Wine:Highlights of classic cassis and black plum elements seem to dance around a lush center of tea leaf and new leather. On the palate, this Cabemet knows that it is beautiful and isn 't afraid to show it. Upon entry, a stunning marriage of lush ripe fruit and cassis drapes around an angular structure, providing a resonating dimension as the wine travels across the tongue. Layers of anise, cigar leaf and sandalwoodfold into the fruit, providing further complexity through a velvety finish. This is a wine to savor with a grilled skirt steak topped with a shallot Cabemet butter or polenta with leeks and gorgonzola.

Vineyards:The Napa Valley bottlings express our interpretation of Napa Valley Cabemet Sauvignon for any particular vintage. We purchase grapes from growers whose viticultural methods match those we apply to our own estate vineyards. As we gather the lots of grapes we purchase, we create a palette that gives us the maximum flexibility to create the greatest expression of fruit from the valley. A vineyard in the Rutherford area provides what is popularly known as 'Rutherford dust' qualities. Plummy fruit characteristics yielding suggestions of earthiness and tea leaf with accompanying structure typify this area. Further north and at a higher elevation, from vineyards in the Howell Mountain area, the blend gains round, dense concentration of brambly fruit elements. A small percentage of our estate fruit from FAY and S.L.V. provides red berry opulence, elegant structure and finesse.

Bottle Size: .750