2015 Vineyard 29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

(14.8% alcohol): Deep, saturated ruby. Captivating aromas of blackberry, blueberry, licorice and menthol are complicated by a very ripe note of dark chocolate and lifted by a lovely violet element. Superripe, chocolatey and dense, conveying a youthfully medicinal quality to its black cherry and licorice flavors; aeration brought a subtle note of sesame paste. Finishes with huge, chewy tannins that dust the tongue and teeth. A bit youthfully brutal, this wine should evolve at a snail's pace. The crop level here was just 2.4 tons per acre, according to Emerson. Incidentally, this was the first year in which the winery used Portacork's ICON-certified corks utilizing NDtech technology to guarantee that corks do not have detectible levels of TCA. From an early harvest that was over by September 16.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard 29 Estate is tremendous. A big, ample wine, the 29 Estate packs a real punch. Even so, there is fabulous balance, especially for such a big, potent wine. A rush of black cherry, smoke, chocolate, licorice and cloves all build into the plush, flamboyant finish. The 2015 is not a shy wine, but it is impeccable in its balance. I loved it. (AG)

Very deep garnet-purple, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon 29 Estate has a wonderfully complex nose chock full of smoked meat, yeast extract, toast, sautéed herbs and savory notes over a crème de cassis and blackberry tart core with hints of violets, damp loam and black truffles. Full-bodied, concentrated and full-on opulent in the mouth, the palate is laden with savory, earth and dark fruit layers with a velvety frame and lively lift on the long finish. 670 cases were made.