2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard

Deep ruby. Aromas of black raspberry and bitter chocolate. Sweet, lush and dense, with powerful flavors of raspberry, blueberry, licorice and dark chocolate. Quite broad but uncompromisingly dry, like a Medoc wine. Finishes with substantial firm tannins. Comes across as distinctly less sweet than the Tychson Hill bottling.

Beautifully defined ripe currant and black cherry fruit glides smoothly across the palate on a seamless, elegant, polished texture. Finishes with a burst of ripe fruit that stays in the forefront despite some pretty mocha-vanilla bean toasted oak. Fine-grained tannins preserve the ripe fruit flavors while giving it structure. Best from 2005 through 2012. 360 cases made. WineSpectator.com

Although the 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Herb Lamb Vineyard is the most developed, it remains a youthful adolescent with exceptional intensity. Notes of tapenade, bay leaf, creme de cassis, charcoal and hints of truffles as well as new saddle leather emerge from this opaque purple-hued 2001. The gorgeous perfume is followed by rich, concentrated, full-bodied flavors, sweet tannin and beautiful intensity, purity and balance. It can be drunk now (although 4-5 more years of cellaring will prove beneficial) and over the next 25 years. Robert Parker, Wine Advocate June 2011