2006 Staglin Family Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Rutherford

This immense, deeply fruited, lavishly oaked wine is all about the future, and, despite showing loads of highly concentrated, black currant character, it is prohibitively tannic for near term drinking. It is also as rich and as precise in its varietal Cabernet Sauvignon focus as any wine tasted in some time. Everything about this one speaks to depth and longevity, and it is likely to need a decade or more before hitting its stride. But, few wines are its equal for classic flavors even now and fewer still will match its progress in the fullness of time .

Deep ruby-red. Cassis, black cherry, licorice, smoke and menthol on the nose. Opulent on entry, then broad and fairly full in the middle, with youthfully reticent flavors of sweet dark berries and intriguing soil tones. This really spreads out on the back end, finishing with a fine, broad dusting of tannins and mouthcoating persistence. Not yet especially nuanced but has the balance to evolve well.