1995 Pride Mountain Claret Napa Valley Reserve

The fabulous 1995 Claret Reserve (a blend of 64% Cabernet Sauvignon, 33% Merlot, and 3% Petit Verdot) offers an opaque ruby/purple color, and a classic creme de cassis nose intermixed with toasty new oak and minerals. Full-bodied, with superb texture, dense, massively rich flavors, and a 40+ second finish, this is a gorgeously made, Bordeaux-styled wine with dazzling levels of fruit and extract. Anticipated maturity: 2000-2015. Shame on me for underestimating this beauty! This is a limited production offering from Pride Mountain Vineyards. Tel. (707) 963-4949; Fax (707) 963-6039

Black-ruby color. Vibrant, expressive aromas of cassis, minerals and spice. Lush and sweet but sappy and bright; inky but pliant in the mouth. A wine with uncanny concentration and a firm mineral underpinning. Toothfurring tannins coat the entire mouth. Explosive finishing fruit.