2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Good ruby-red. Soil-inflected aromas of mocha, warm stones, tobacco, underbrush and dried berries, with a very ripe, almost liqueur-like aspect. Then big, chewy and deep, with a compelling sweetness to its smoke, tobacco and espresso flavors. Just juicy enough to maintain verve. Less lush and harmonious at this stage than the 2005 was, as its powerful tannic spine calls for several years of patience, but there's something sexy and exotic about this wine.

The 2006 Cabernet Sauvignon reveals the vintage’s burly, masculine, and muscular side. The wine is stacked and packed with fruit, extract, tannin, and muscle, but possesses much less suppleness and complexity than the 2005 or the sweetness of the 2007. The 2006, with chocolate, scorched earth, blackberry, and espresso roast notes, is shut down and dense at present, but is impressive, although in a backward style. This wine needs to be forgotten for at least 5-6 years. It is a powerful wine, but don’t touch it before 2013, and drink it over the following three decades. (Release date 10/09) As I said last year, there is a strong argument to be made that this is the most underrated great Cabernet Sauvignon produced in Napa Valley. Sadly, Mary Seavey, long-time wife of Bill Seavey, passed away just before my visit, and my heartfelt condolences go out to her husband who, along with his wife, were visionaries with regard to what could be achieved on these dry-farmed hillside vineyards tucked away in Conn Valley, east of Meadowood Resort. Their winemaker is the brilliant Philippe Melka, who has always said that the challenge is not with the complexity or quality of the fruit, but rather taming what can be the savage tannins that can emerge from these hillsides. He has done just that, and along with Bill Seavey, introduced perhaps the best second wine in all of Napa Valley, the Caravina. Keep in mind that I have Seaveys going back to 1990 in my cellar, and they are still young wines, so this is a wine that can easily hold up for 25+ years when well-stored. The estate Cabernet Sauvignon (the production varies between about 725 to just over 1,000 cases depending on vintage conditions) tends to be anywhere from a minimum of 85% Cabernet Sauvignon to as much as 92-93%, with the balance always Petit Verdot, and over recent years, no Merlot whatsoever. Tel. (707) 963-8339; Fax (707) 963-0232

Deep red-ruby. Primary aromas of cassis, black raspberry, minerals and licorice. Dense, sappy and concentrated, if quite primary and a bit reduced today. Shows the rocky character of the site, along with a lightly saline quality. Finishes with big but sweet tannins.