2012 Vineyard 29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

Deep ruby. Very ripe aromas of black raspberry and dark chocolate suggest a lush, voluptuous wine. Plush, very sweet and powerful, with its seriously rich dark fruit flavors and chocolatey ripeness slightly leavened by a note of menthol. Perhaps a bit warm in the early going, and in need of time to absorb some of its baby fat. Finishes with slightly aggressive palate-saturating tannins and terrific persistence. Keith Emerson described 2012 as "our biggest crop ever [four tons per acre], with everything coming in quickly but not getting pruney or overripe." This opulent wine will need aging to come into focus. (ST) 92+

Sauvignon Blanc. Deep coppery colour. Very sweet and slightly oily. Really fine acidity and catty/oily bordeaux blanc style. Edgy. Real pace. (JR)

Stunning, but a more classic and elegant wine without any of the scorched earth , Graves-like character of the Aida Vineyard is the classic 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon 29 Estate. This is a fabulous property on the lower hillsides of the Mayacamas Mountains. A blend of 96% Cabernet Sauvignon and 4% Petit Verdot aged in 100% new French oak, the 2012 is inky purple, with a gorgeous nose of lead pencil shavings, spring flowers, blackberry and blueberry fruit, cedar wood and baking spices. Dense, multi-layered, full-bodied and beautifully pure, this is a stunner to drink over the next 20-25 years. There are 760 cases.