1996 Vineyard 29 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon

(13.6% alcohol): Medium red with an amber edge. Balsamic olive tapenade and some maderization on the nose. Then slightly roasted but nicely delineated on the palate, showing surprising juiciness but limited flesh to its flavors of nutty oak, mocha, gravel, spices and rocky scorched earth. Drink up. (Our tasting began with a bottle of the 1992, made from vines in their third leaf. This wine, too, showed surprising energy and definition, as well as some plum and prune notes with hints of flowers and spices. It began with distinct maderization notes and faded quickly in the glass. It was clearly in decline.)