1993 Bryant Family Cabernet Sauvignon

One of the most surprising wines of the night is Don Bryant's 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon. The 1993 won't last forever, but it is in a gorgeous place right now. The brightness and purity of the fruit remain alluring. This is one of the all-around favorites at the table, and it is easy to see why.

There are just under 1000 cases of this extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon produced from a vineyard on Pritchard Hill, a viticultural area most associated with one of Napa Valley's most conspicuous underachievers, Chappellet. Production of Bryant's Cabernet Sauvignon will drop to just over 600 cases in 1995 as one-third of the vineyard was recently replanted. Bryant's opaque black/purple-colored Cabernets are fermented with wild yeast and bottled without any clarification techniques such as filtration. They also receive a pre-fermentation five day cold maceration. This technique is used by consultant Helen Turley for all the Cabernet Sauvignons she makes. The 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon has turned out even better than I predicted last year (and I thought it was an amazing wine from barrel). It exhibits an opaque purple/black color, and a huge, fragrant, penetrating bouquet of minerals, licorice, toast, and remarkable layers of black fruits. Although extremely full-bodied, the wine's hugeness and massive concentration come across as beautifully poised, balanced, and delineated. The tannin is not as sweet as in the 1994, but it is ripe. The quantity of tannin should ensure this wine's graceful evolution for another 20-25 years, although it will be easy to drink within 2-3 years. Readers are well-advised to get on the Bryant Family Vineyard's mailing list in order to secure a handful of bottles of these reference point Napa Cabernet Sauvignons. Tel. (314) 231-8066; Fax (314) 231-4859

Don Bryant's extraordinary 1993 Cabernet Sauvignon possesses an opaque black/purple color, and a huge bouquet of black-raspberries, cassis, vanillin, licorice, and spices. The wine is super-rich, with sweet tannin, an expansive mouthfeel, and an awesome finish. It will be approachable when released, but it will not hit its stride until the turn of the century; it will last for 10-15 years thereafter. No telephone listing; address: Bryant Family Vineyard, 701 Market St., St. Louis, MO 63101.