2014 Rivers-Marie Cabernet Sauvignon Roberto Corona Vineyard

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Corona Vineyard comes from the western Oakville hillside that was once an old gravel quarry. Blue/purple with notes of earth, crushed rock, blueberry and blackberry fruit, this is a relatively tannic, backward style compared to the other Cabernets with plenty of minerality, a muscular structure, full-bodied mouthfeel and loads of blue, red and black fruits. This is impressive and potentially fabulous with a great upside, but needs 3-5 years of bottle age and should keep for up to 30 years.

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Corona Vineyard comes across as quite exotic, with an intriguing mélange of blood orange, spice and floral notes that adds lift to the trademark Corona fruit. Sweet, explosive and layered in the glass, the 2014 appears to have a bright future.