1995 Flora Springs Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Reserve

Readers looking for blockbuster Cabernet Sauvignon offerings should check out the 1995 and 1996 Hillside Reserve Cabernets from Flora Springs. The winery tends to give this wine 12 months aging in old oak barrels. At the conclusion of that period, the wines are moved into 100% new oak for 10 months. At that point they are racked into tank and bottled unfiltered. This is not dissimilar to how Caymus handles its Special Selection Cabernet Sauvignon. Sadly, only about 800 cases of these exquisite Cabernets are produced. The 1995 Cabernet Sauvignon Hillside Reserve is a backward, tannic wine with an opaque purple color, and copious quantities of sweet black currant fruit, cedar, and spice. Muscular, rich, and full-bodied, with sweet tannin, this is a layered, concentrated, unevolved and youthful Cabernet Sauvignon that requires 4-5 years of cellaring. All the necessary "goodies" are present in this formidably-endowed wine. While it will not provide seductive drinking at an early age, it will last 20 years. Tel. (707) 963-5711; Fax (707) 963-7518