2010 Winston Hill Vineyard Proprietary Red

(a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc and petit verdot): Bright, saturated medium ruby. Superripe aromas of kirsch, cassis, licorice and mocha. Dense and plush but still a bit youthfully tight, with dark cherry and mocha flavors carrying by a full dose of vanillin oak. Finishes with a firm edge of dusty tannins and very good length. Plenty of complexity here but this needs a year or two to express itself.

Black cherries, plums, leather, licorice and smoke meld together in the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Winston Hill. Rich, distinctive and layered, the 2010 is impressive for its sheer Rutherford personality. Like all of the Frank reds, the 2010 Winston Hill is super-ripe and intense, but here there is a little more tannin and overall sense of structure. Hints of Iron and Rutherford dust add shades of nuance on the close.

The 2010 Proprietary Red Blend (87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Cabernet Franc, 5% Merlot and 1% Petit Verdot) from the Winston Hill AVA represents an homage to the proprietor’s pooch. The aromatics include scents of charcoal, graphite, creme de cassis and background oak. Stunningly rich and full-bodied, it is the top wine of this impressive trio. Long, rich, elegant but substantial, this winner can be drunk now or cellared for two decades or more. Tel. (707) 942-0859