2008 Hundred Acre Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between

(15.5% alcohol): Bright medium-deep red. Black raspberry, strawberry, tobacco, mocha and a whiff of menthol on the nose. Plush, very ripe and full, offering lovely sweetness and more plum, strawberry and redcurrant than blacker fruits. A bit less exotic and expansive than the Ark but this wine is much suppler than it was on release and gained in sweetness as it opened in the glass. Finishes with very smooth tannins and subtle persistence.

The 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Few and Far Between is a huge wine bursting with ripe red fruit, flowers, spices, licorice and tobacco. Today the 2008 comes across as relatively soft and accessible despite its size. I have little doubt the 2008 will be better in another year or two, but it is already immensely enjoyable.

Full red. Aromas of strawberry, cherry, mocha, crushed rock and lead pencil, lifted by nuances of violet and licorice. Tighter and higher-pitched than the Ark and not currently showing as much silkiness of texture, with distinctly darker fruit flavors and musky minerality. Best today on the rising finish, which features lush, broad tannins and an utterly seamless texture. The least sweet and expressive of these 2008s today, but with outstanding cellaring potential.