A beauty, with lush, velvety and seductive waves of creamed plum, blackberry reduction and warmed fig compote notes, seamlessly inlaid with singed alder, loam and humus details. Shows a flicker of menthol at the very end as everything melds together. A big wine, without any of the telltale hiccups of the vintage. Best from 2022 through 2040.

The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon is one of the unqualified successes of the year. Rich and boisterous in the glass, this wine possesses tremendous depth and fruit intensity. Bottled just two months ago, the 2017 is still very closed, and will also probably always have quite a bit of tannic heft, but it also has more than enough fruit to develop well for many years to come. Cedar, mint, tobacco and licorice add striking aromatic intensity to the super-ripe red fruit of this potent, deeply expressive Cabernet.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon sashays out of the glass with nonchalant notions of chocolate-covered cherries, mulberries, warm plums and boysenberries with hints of lavender, underbrush and fragrant soil plus a waft of cedar chest. Medium to full-bodied, the palate reveals wonderful vitality with loads of perfumed black fruit and a sturdy, grainy frame, finishing with a little spiciness coming through.