2018 Oakville Ranch

Just phenomenal juice, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch offers up a deep purple hue as well as a stunning array of pure crème de cassis and blueberry fruits interwoven with notions of chocolate, green tobacco, lead pencil, and violets. Reminding me of a great Pomerol (L'Eglise Clinet) with its purity, complexity, and seamlessness, it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, ultra-fine tannins, and a great finish. This is a powerful wine, yet it shines just as brightly for its elegance and balance. It's going to evolve for 30-35+ years or more.

The 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville Ranch is a pretty delicate wine for this Oakville vineyard. Floral and nicely perfumed, the 2018 is surprisingly nuanced and understated for a site where the wines tend to be bruisers. The bright Oakville Ranch acids come through nicely. The 2018 is a gorgeous wine, but readers should expect a decidedly laid back style. Oakville Ranch Cabernets tend to give a bit more depth, and that is what I had hoped to see more of here.

Composed of 83% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 7% Petit Verdot, the deep garnet-purple colored 2018 Oakville Ranch Cabernet Sauvignon jumps out of the glass with bright, vivacious red and black currants, Morello cherries and blackberries plus hints of lilacs and clove oil. Full-bodied, the muscular black fruit delivers loads of floral accents with a firm, grainy texture and a refreshing, perfumed finish. 490 cases were made.