Deep ruby-red. Serious, youthfully medicinal nose combines blackberry, licorice pastille, graphite, violet and fruity bitter chocolate. Intensely flavored and deep if youthfully imploded, with terrific verve to its flavors of cassis, minerals and bitter chocolate. Quite backward but already hinting at the sweetness to come. The wine's vibrant acidity, superb intensity and serious tannic clout give it the components for a long and slow evolution in bottle. An outstanding vintage for this wine.

Pure creme de cassis, black cherry, wood spice, crushed rock, and subtle oak characteristics are present in this dark ruby/purple-colored 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon. This is another 2007 that shows abundant minerality, something I have detected in many Napa 2007 Cabernet Sauvignons. This youthful effort will benefit from 3-5 years of cellaring, and should evolve for 25+ years.