2011 La Joie

Cabernet Sauvignon takes center stage in the 2011 La Joie. Dark red cherry, plum, smoke, mint, licorice, savory herbs and violets are all laced together nicely. The 2011 possesses lovely mid-palate sweetness in the soft, restrained style of the year. Here, too, the flavor profile is distinctly Old World leaning.

A Médoc-inspired wine, the 2011 La Joie (2,800 cases) is composed of 74% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and the rest small quantities of Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec. It reveals a slight austerity (typical for this vintage) as well as dry tannins in a reasonably long finish for a 2011. The deep ruby/plum/purple color is followed by notes of tobacco leaf, forest floor, blackcurrants, chocolate and vanilla. Medium-bodied with an impressive attack and mid-palate, some hard tannins give the wine an angular aftertaste. Drink it over the next 10-15 years. Tel. (707) 433-9000

(13.8% alcohol; a blend of 74% cabernet sauvignon, 10% cabernet franc, 7% merlot, 6% petit verdot and 3% malbec): Bright medium ruby. Vibrant aromas of crushed cassis, bitter cherry, licorice and leather. Youthfully tight yet already quite penetrating; today the wine's licorice and fresh herb notes dominate its underlying dark fruit flavors. More backward than the 2011 La Muse, even austere today.