1990 Mount Eden Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vine Reserve

The 1990 Cabernet Sauvignon Old Vine Reserve comes from a single block of Cabernet vines planted in 1957 that were removed after the 2000 vintage, and it was aged in entirely French oak. Initially evasive, the nose gradually and persistently reveals its meaty, gamey, powerful aromas melded with leathery, powdery dried fruits and herbs. The palate is exquisite and refined, with impressive delineation, focus and amplitude without being the least bit heavy. Succulent and drying on the finish, the tannin structure fans out three-dimensionally and concludes with fantastic balance. A remarkable, fascinating showing of this classic, and now extinct, bottling.