2009 Cardinale Proprietary Red

According to winemaker Christopher Carpenter, the 2009 Proprietary Red Wine was dominated by Mr. Veeder fruit. Deep garnet in color, it gives up bold, confident crème de cassis, baked plums and tobacco notes with suggestions of cast-iron pan, dried herbs and chargrill. Medium to full-bodied, the palate is fresh and lively, with finely grained, plush tannins and bags of evolving black fruit and savory flavors, finishing long and earthy. 1342 cases were made.

(a 91/9 blend of cabernet sauvignon and merlot, including 95% "mountain wine"): Deep ruby-red. Musky, complex nose combines redcurrant, flowers, cocoa powder, sweet tobacco and spices. Then wonderfully intense and voluptuous, saturating the entire palate with dark fruit, spice and saline mineral flavors. Lovely definition here. Most impressive today on the brisk, very long, firmly built finish, where the ripe tannins are in perfect balance with the wine's fruit. This wine was neither fined nor filtered for the bottling.

The 2009 Cardinale is a gorgeous, beautifully balanced wine endowed with gorgeous textural finesse and depth. Dark red fruit, spices and mint are woven together beautifully in this supple, engaging wine. Bright floral notes add lift, freshness and vibrancy on the finish. There is enough finesse to make the 2009 approachable early, but also enough richness to suggest the wine will drink early for a number of years. Winemaker Chris Carpenter creates the final blend from a number of vineyards, including Veeder Peak, La Jota, Spring Mountain, Andrew-Geoffrey and Clem Cardinalli. The final blend is 91% Cabernet Sauvignon and 9% Merlot, predominantly from hillside sites, aged in 100% new French oak barrels. This is a remarkable level of quality considering the 1,300-case production.