2013 Dana Estates Cabernet Sauvignon Onda

This is the best Onda ever. Subtle and perfumed aromas of blackberry, sage, and bramble berry. Plummy. Full-bodied, chewy yet velvety and polished. Layered and delicious. Pretty balance and length. Savory and salty. White pepper too. Wonderful finish. A blend of wines from all the vineyards of Dana with a majority from Crystal Spring and Hershey. So much precision here. Drink or hold. 987 cases.

There are three vineyard sites, and the wine they cull out of those vineyards is the least expensive blend, Onda. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Onda, which is 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Petit Verdot, sees less new oak than its stablemates. The wine is opaque purple with a beautiful, structured nose of spring flowers, blueberry and blackberry fruit and charcoal, followed by a medium to full-bodied opulence and richness. This is a beauty that should drink well for at least several decades.

The is a delicious entry-level wine from Dana Estates. The flavors are dark, bold and incisive - very much in the style of the year - but the tannins are also quite soft within the context of the vintage. Lavender, smoke, menthol and crème de cassis are some of the signatures. Today the Onda is dark and virile in style, with all the elements in the right place. The backbone for the Onda is the estate's Crystal Springs site.