2017 DVO Napa Valley Red

Not commercially released—the 2018 DVO was the official debut—DVO's 2017 Red Wine is 66% Cabernet Sauvignon and 34% Cabernet Franc, sourced from Mount Veeder, Coombsville and Oakville. In retrospect, this was probably a wise decision, as this wine seems to already be showing its age, moving into its cedary, cigar box stage of maturity, with pronounced hints of smoke and tobacco. Still backed by plummy fruit, this full-bodied effort is a bit coarsely textured in the mouth and open-knit. While it should remain very enjoyable over the next several years, there seems no point in additional cellaring.