2007 Oakville Estate Proprietary Red

(15.4% alcohol; 69% cabernet sauvignon, 14% cabernet franc, 8% merlot, 8% malbec and 1% petit verdot) Bright, saturated ruby. Aromas of crushed black fruits, menthol, licorice, violet, espresso and cocoa powder. At once primary and suave, with more inner-mouth perfume and aromatic lift than past vintages of this wine. The dark raspberry and violet flavors offer terrific intensity and aromatic lift. The tannin management here is far more sophisticated than just a few years ago here, when the tannins had a tendency toward hardness. But then this wine has only been racked twice so far. Sullivan noted that 2007 was the first year in which David Abreu controlled the vineyard work; Michel Rolland will finalize the blend, and the bottling will not occur until at least August. Outstanding potential here.