2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

This vineyard, high above the Meadowood Resort, has produced a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon that was aged in 100% new French oak for 22 months. The label says 14.9% natural alcohol. Having once visited the proprietors, the Wornicks, it is well worth the effort to get an invitation to their property, given the extraordinary sculpture that one confronts on the high steep hillside road leading to the residence. This wine blew me away in the tasting, and again, it is another of the absolutely compelling, great, great wines of this vintage. Of course, it is limited in production, which is always a problem, but this is a candidate for perfection. Inky, bluish/purple to the rim, it has a seamless, full-bodied opulence, with stunningly pure creme de cassis, black cherry and liqueur notes mixed with licorice and incense, yet the 100% new oak is completely concealed. The wine has a hint of minerality and extraordinary richness, texture and a multidimensional mouthfeel and finish. This is one of the great young wines I have tasted recently and, of course, it’s still a baby at age ten. Kudos to Seven Stones! By the way, this is the only time I’ve met one of the Wine Advocate Bulletin Board participants, Roy Piper, who is doing his own thing these days, and I look forward to tasting his wines.