2010 The Farm Cabernet Sauvignon Cardinal

(93% cabernet sauvignon and 7% malbec): Inky ruby. Blackberry liqueur, licorice, pipe tobacco and mocha on the highly perfumed nose. Plush, broad and deep but lively as well, offering sappy dark fruit flavors and notes of candied flowers and vanilla. Bright acidity adds focus and lift to an impressively long, smooth and subtly tannic finish that repeats the floral note. (JR)

Even more Bordeaux-like and structured, with plenty of cedar, tobacco leaf, spice box, lead pencil shavings and red and black currant aromas and flavors, the 2010 Cardinal is comprised of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Malbec that spent 27 months in new French oak. Rich and full-bodied on the palate, it fills the mouth nicely, yet dries out ever so slightly on the finish. Nevertheless, there’s loads to like here and this concentrated effort should be given another 2-3 years of bottle age, at which point its evolution will be easier to figure out. Even in a worst case scenario, it should have a decade of longevity. Drink now-2020. Tel. (805) 400-3276; www.thefarmwinery.com

Even more Bordeaux-like and structured, with plenty of cedar, tobacco leaf, spice box, lead pencil shavings and red and black currant aromas and flavors, the 2010 Cardinal is comprised of 93% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Malbec that spent 27 months in new French oak. Rich and full-bodied on the palate, it fills the mouth nicely, yet dries out ever so slightly on the finish. Nevertheless, there’s loads to like here and this concentrated effort should be given another 2-3 years of bottle age, at which point its evolution will be easier to figure out. (JD) 92+