2019 Rubicon

81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot.  Tarry black fruit on the nose together with star anise and incense. The palate has real density but this comes with a powerful structure that will need time to settle. Cassis-led, the chewy and dense nature of the tannins means patience will be required despite the sweetness and warming generosity at this early stage. (TP)

A storrming, stonking Napa wine, playing at the top of its game in 2019. Somehow takes the power and concentration of Napa but makes it full of texture, life, light and shade. Espresso, liqourice root, cocoa bean, cassis, cranberry, black cherry, cold ash and crayon. Hard not to fall in love with, nothing overdone, everything in its place. Director of winemaking Philippe Bascaules. All aged in French oak barrels, 75% new.

The flagship 2019 Cabernet Sauvignon Rubicon is slightly deeper purple-hued and checks in as a blend of 81% Cabernet Sauvignon, 11% Merlot, 5% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. It's a clear step up, offering a terrific nose of ripe cassis and spiced currant fruits as well as cedary herbs, tobacco, and earth. Nicely concentrated, medium to full-bodied, and balanced, it has plenty of up-front charm (as do most 2019s) yet will have two decades of longevity. It needs plenty of air to show at its best today, so don't be afraid to put this in a decanter. 7363 cases.