Brought over by a dinner guest on Saturday but mistakenly never opened, I've got a glass in front of me right now. I've always liked this wine, though back when there was both a Napa bottling and a Rutherford (I could be mistaken but I think it's no longer the case), the Rutherford always got my vote...and I was just about to type some nice things about it but maybe I should reconsider. My husband picked up his glass just now, sniffed and tasted, and asked if it was a syrah.
That would not usually be a good sign, huh. But I think his confusion is that we're not accustomed to drinking young California cabernets anymore because this wine has everything correct about cabernet, it just has some babyfat. There's black cherry fruit, cedar, a little licorice and coffee toward the finish which is full of silky tannins. Very pleasant to drink now for what it is, but it should be at it's best in 2-3 years when it sheds the baby fat.