2014 Proprietary Blend

Soaring aromatics and a huge, dense fruit are the signatures in Brand's 2014 Proprietary Blend. Huge swaths of tannins give the wine its shape and add to an overall impression of intensity. Like so many wines and all three 2014s here the Proprietary Blend has shut down considerably after bottling. From time to time the sheer appeal this wine showed in barrel comes through, but readers will have to be patient here.

Superior, given its fabulous complexity, is the 2014 Proprietary Red, a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. The bad news is there are only 175 cases of this beautiful wine that offers up notes of roasted coffee bean, white chocolate, mocha, pen ink, blackberry and cassis. When it hits the palate, the wine has great intensity without a sense of heaviness, no doubt because of the high percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend. Spicy as well, with loads of floral notes, this superb, full-bodied and opulent proprietary blend should drink beautifully for two decades.

Superior, given its fabulous complexity, is the 2014 Proprietary Red, a blend of 65% Cabernet Franc and 35% Cabernet Sauvignon. The bad news is there are only 175 cases of this beautiful wine that offers up notes of roasted coffee bean, white chocolate, mocha, pen ink, blackberry and cassis. When it hits the palate, the wine has great intensity without a sense of heaviness, no doubt because of the high percentage of Cabernet Franc in the blend. Spicy as well, with loads of floral notes, this superb, full-bodied and opulent proprietary blend should drink beautifully for two decades.