2009 Snowden, Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve, Napa Valley

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve is drop-dead gorgeous. Dark red fruit, tobacco, flowers and licorice emerge from this massive, powerful wine. The Reserved fleshes out beautifully on the palate as the fruit gains dimension and volume with. Hints of licorice, menthol and tar wrap around the powerful, structured finish. This is a dazzling showing from Snowden. The 2009 harvest was not an easy one, but Diana Snowden Seysses did a brilliant job coping with the October rains. In 2009 the blend is 75.5% Cabernet Sauvignon, 19.1% Merlot, 3.8% Cabernet Franc and 1.6 % Petit Verdot.

Saturated bright ruby. Black cherry, blueberry, licorice and minerals on the aromatically precise nose. The seriously rich but backward palate delivers concentrated dark fruit and dark chocolate flavors along with a wilder leathery nuance. Strong minerality contributes to the impression of spine. Showing a more restrained sweetness of fruit today than the 2010 version, but here the granular tannins seem sweeter.