A blend of 61% Cabernet Franc and 39% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2021 Proprietary Red boasts hints of scorched coffee, ripe cherries and fine tobacco leaf on the nose, while the full-bodied palate is firm, wiry and tightly coiled, with a long, silky finish. It's not unapproachable, but it would clearly benefit from several years in the cellar.

The 2021 Propietary Red, Brand's Cabernet Franc-based blend, is superb. It possesses notable depth but is clearly still coming together post-bottling. All the elements are very much in place for this to be a striking wine once the aromatics fill out over time, and it is already very texturally pretty. Today, the 2021 feels a bit compact, but that is Franc. Hints of spice, flowers and mocha linger.