2011 Roberta's Reserve

Good dark red. Penetrating aromas of blueberry, pine needles, lavender and cedar come across as distinctly cool after the '12 and '13 bottlings. Fine-grained and densely packed if less plush and sweet than the younger vintages of Roberta's. There's a faintly herbal quality throughout the wine that gives it lovely mid-palate lift and refreshes the surprisingly expansive finish. Tannins are substantial but not dry. I suspect I would have scored this very stylish wine higher had I tasted it on its own, and it's certainly a standout in the context of its vintage. I recall that from the outset Lou Kapcsándy was high on his site's Merlot in this challenging growing season, although in March he described 2011 as "the cool vintage." He added that the Merlot was in by October 13 but that it was then necessary to wait 10 or 12 days for the Cabernet Sauvignon to develop ripe phenolics. He referred to the Cabernet as "our Yquem vintage," as strict selection was necessary. 14.1% alcohol; all French oak, 93% new)

96% Merlot from Block 1 by the river, 4% Cabernet Franc. All sold direct. Much browner than the Cabernet at the rim. Lift and freshness. Very sweet on the palate and definitely right banky. Good structure and juiciness. Graphite. Wait! Very generous on the palate. (JR)

Amazingly, the 2011 Roberta's Reserve may turn out to be better than the 2010. Today it is certainly much more polished, finessed and persistent than the bombastic 2010. Sweet herbs, wild flowers, mint and new leather are all layered together on the finish. The 2011 is all about purity, finesse and balance. What a gorgeous wine this is. The 2011 is 96% Merlot and 4% Cabernet Franc.