2007 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

(13.8% alcohol): Ruby-red. Discreet scents of black plum, dark berries and black pepper lifted by a violet topnote. Densely packed and a bit more pliant than the Kronos Vineyard example, displaying lovely purity to its juicy, fine-grained dark berry flavors. An element of salty minerality contributes to the dominant impression of energy. The rising finish is ripely tannic, long and perfumed.

Ruby-red. Restrained aromas of cassis and licorice, with hints of leather and game. Dense, smooth and ripe but quite tight today and in a sullen phase, with a medicinal cast to its licorice and menthol flavors. Broad but quite dry and not at all fleshy or exotic. Finishes with a firm tannic spine. Seems to be shutting down in bottle now and probably needs four or five more years in the cellar at a minimum.

Somewhat reticent when young, Cathy Corison's pure, restrained Cabs blossom five years or more after release. The 2007 has perfectly ripe cassis, plum and pomegranate fruit, with sandalwood, sage, liquorice and spice accents. Good grip, refreshing acidity, and a completeness that suggests drinking now, yet the patient will put it away for a few years and be justly rewarded. (LM)