1994 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve

(13% alcohol): Good dark red. Slightly porty aromas of black fruits, licorice, orange peel, exotic spices, coffee and tar. Plush, sweet and powerful, with the tarry quality carrying through in the mouth, joined by cedar and spice notes. Just a touch of maderization here. Finishes with big, dusty, rather unrefined tannins and a faint acid streak. This bottle struck me as a classic version of Pride Reserve Cabernet that was just past its peak. Drink soon.

The 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve (the first Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon they have made) is produced from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon and aged completely in French oak casks. It is another profound Cabernet from the exceptional 1994 vintage. The wine's opaque purple color and huge, massive richness do not come across as heavy, despite the wine's extraordinary intensity and thickness. There is enough acidity for freshness, and plenty of sweet, well-integrated tannin. This large-scaled, magnificently-endowed Cabernet Sauvignon needs 5-6 years of cellaring, but it should keep for 25+ years. This Spring Mountain winery continues to push the envelope of quality as evidenced by the current releases - the finest wines they have yet produced. Moreover, these wines catapult Pride Mountain into the top echelon of California's quality wineries. Tel. (707) 963-4949; Fax (707) 963-4848