Bravante Vineyards Howell Mountain Cabernet Franc 2007, Napa Valley, California

This is a delicious Cabernet Franc from Napa Valley.

Full bodied and smooth with medium acidity.

Dry on the palate and fruit forward, with nice complexity and mouthfeel. Tangy and interesting.

Showing black fruits with earth, wood, spices, peppercorn, coffee, mocha and cola.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy raspberries.

This 16 year old feels young, and will continue to age nicely in the next 10 years.

I love this vintage from Napa. Just gorgeous.

Good right out of the bottle, and better after 2 hours of airtime. Good by itself as a sipping wine.

A small production of only 8 barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$100 (current vintage).

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Yount Ridge Cellars Proprietary Blend 2009, California

Dark ruby in color with a reddish rim.

Full bodied with medium acidity and smooth.

Dry and fruity on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Showing blackberries, cedar, sweet cherries, currants, licorice, diet cola, chocolates, vanilla, spices, espresso and light earth.

Long finish with fine grained tannins and tangy cherries.

This 13 year old Napa Bordeaux blend is peaking now, and will continue to drink nicely in the next 5 years. Delicious and easy drinking.

Soft and smooth. Rich yet elegant. Fruit forward and spicy.

Good by itself or with food. Good right out of the bottle, and better after an hour of airtime.

A gorgeous Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon blend with a wonderful nose, right out of the bottle.

Thank you Scott for sharing this with me.

I’ve had a few vintages before, and it is always delicious. Tangy, spicy and interesting.

Really enjoyed it, especially the nose. Kept smelling on it. Delicious stuff.

A blend of 88% Cabernet Sauvignon and 12% Merlot.

14.7% alcohol by volume.

93 points.

$120.

Avenel Cellars Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve 2011, California

A very pretty color of ruby, with a wide reddish rim.

Beautiful nose of blueberries, plums, cherries, light oak, licorice, earth, chocolates, flowers, Indian spices, wet leaves and black pepper.

Full bodied, smooth and elegant, with medium plus acidity.

Dry on the palate with sour cherries, plums, red currants, oak, tobacco leaf, earth, dark coffee, black pepper, vegetables, leather, light vanilla and vinaigrette.

Short finish with soft tannins and tangy cranberries.

This is a very enjoyable Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Elegant, soft and gentle.

Feels more like a 10 year old Brunello, which is very interesting to see.

Was better a few years ago, but still enjoyable now. Showing a great nose, but a little unbalanced at this point.

Thank you Wendy for sharing this with me.

Needed an hour to open up properly, but started fading away after 3 hours of airtime.

I paired it with a Charcuterie board of meats and cheeses.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

91 points.

$50 (current vintage).

Ghost Block Estate Oakville Cabernet Sauvignon 2016, Napa Valley, California

This is a delicious Cabernet Sauvignon from Napa Valley. Rich and extracted. Spicy and interesting.

Showing blackberries, coffee, cedar, vanilla, leather, spices, earth, chocolates, tobacco, peppercorn, figs, raisins, vanilla, licorice and black pepper.

Full bodied, big and bold, with medium acidity.

Dry and very fruity on the palate with nice complexity and mouthfeel.

Nicely balanced and fruit forward. Tasty and delicious. Loved smelling on it for a long time.

Good right out of the bottle, but so much better after 2 hours of airtime.

I had this vintage over a year ago, and it is so much better now. Will be even better in 5 years.

A blend of 94% Cabernet Sauvignon with some Malbec and Petit Verdot. Aged for 24 months in French oak barrels.

14.5% alcohol by volume.

94 points.

$75.