2009 Cardinale, Napa Valley

Just a beautiful wine, this is filled with silky smooth tannins, sage, fennel, chocolate, liquorice, bright blueberry and damson fruits, slate tannins and a juicy signoff. One of the standouts of the vertical, from a vintage that was balanced and steady, allowing for full ripeness without excessive heat spikes. Harvest 23 September to 30 October. Throwing some deposit at this point, make sure you carafe. Christopher Carpenter winemaker, bottled unfiltered and unfined. All estate vineyard grapes, from six vineyard sites, dominant Mount Veeder.

According to winemaker Christopher Carpenter, the 2009 Proprietary Red Wine was dominated by Mr. Veeder fruit. Deep garnet in color, it gives up bold, confident crème de cassis, baked plums and tobacco notes with suggestions of cast-iron pan, dried herbs and chargrill. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is fresh and lively, with finely grained, plush tannins and bags of evolving black fruit and savory flavors, finishing long and earthy. 1342 cases were made.

The 2009 Cardinale is a gorgeous, beautifully balanced wine endowed with gorgeous textural finesse and depth. Dark red fruit, spices and mint are woven together beautifully in this supple, engaging wine. Bright floral notes add lift, freshness and vibrancy on the finish. There is enough finesse to make the 2009 approachable early, but also enough richness to suggest the wine will drink early for a number of years. Winemaker Chris Carpenter creates the blend from a number of vineyards, including Veeder Peak, La Jota, Spring Mountain, Andrew-Geoffrey and Clem Cardinalli. In 2009 the final blend is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot, predominantly from hillside sites, aged in 100% new French oak barrels. This is a remarkable level of quality considering the 1,300-case production. Anticipated maturity: 2014-2029. Tel. (866) 462-4741

Very sleek, modern nose of purple fruits and spices (cloves, black pepper)followed by cigar box, game and leather. Plush, silky. There’s a savoury, vegetal twist in there, which also brings a touch of freshness. Has ample fruit and swagger, and plenty of energy to carry through onto the finish, which is long.