2016 Bond, St Eden, Napa Valley

Another perfect wine in the lineup is the 2016 St. Eden, which comes from a hillside of red volcanic soils just outside of Oakville. As with the 2015, wine doesn’t get any better, and this inky hued 2016 offers up a smorgasbord of crème de cassis, blackberries, crushed rocks, toasty oak, new leather, and tobacco. Deep, full-bodied, powerful yet also incredibly elegant, it offers pleasure even today yet will benefit from 4-6 years of bottle age and cruise for 30 years or more.

Blackberry, black-cherry and floral aromas just pop out. Transparent and vivid. Dusty undertones. Full-bodied, layered and chewy with powerful density and richness. Extremely long and flavorful. Great structure. Needs three or four years to demonstrate its full potential.

The 2016 St. Eden has a deep garnet-purple color and gives up vivacious notes of crushed blackberries, warm plums and cassis plus hints of dried leaves, forest floor, tapenade and truffles with a touch of unsmoked cigars. Medium to full-bodied, the palate features taut, muscular black and blue fruits, framed by firm, ripe tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long with loads of savory sparks.

High-toned with a bone-dry impression. The tannins are much more obvious in this wine, a stablemate, than in Harlan Estate from the same vintage. I wonder if that is a vineyard or cellar thing? (JR)