2003 BOND St. Eden

Bright, dark red-ruby. Rather cool aromas of blueberry, menthol, licorice and mint. Concentrated, spicy wine with a slightly medicinal aspect to its dark berry and menthol flavors. More savory than sweet but there's no shortage of personality here. Finishes with good length but slightly unyielding tannins. I'm not sure that this wine has the density to reward further aging.

The 2003 St. Eden comes from an 11-acre rocky knoll on the northern side of the Oakville Crossroad that consists of pure red soils. It is the most evolved and forward of these 2003 Bond wines. Lots of cedar, chocolate, roasted herb, lavender and spice box notes emerge from this complex Pauillac-like effort. Medium to full-bodied and fully mature, it is more evolved than its siblings, revealing sweet tannin as well as a spicy, earthy finish. Owners are advised to drink it over the next decade. The single vineyard wines represent Bill Harlan’s concept of offering single vineyard, micro-climate/terroir-based wines from distinctive sectors of Napa Valley. Tel. (707) 944-1441

Good deep ruby. High-pitched nose dominated by black cherry. Dense and sweet but with a light touch. Distinctly minerally, sharply delineated wine that nonetheless seems less dense than the 2004 example. Still quite youthfully tight and firmly tannic, with an almost medicinal austerity. Today I don't find the liqueur-like sweetness this wine displayed from barrel, but this conveys an impression of brooding power and will require following.