Nose: It doesn’t take much time in the glass to reveal the ripeness of the vintage. Dried cherries, baking spices, and vanilla intermingle with softer notes of espresso bean, pipe tobacco, and lavender. Palate The 2015 steers toward dark fruit with plenty of blackberry jam and plums slowly yielding to intense, vibrant tannins and bright acid. A touch of smoke punctuates the midpalate revealing anise and cocoa, but these are just the tip of the iceberg. Within a few moments rhubarb appears as do dried ginger and black pepper. Additional aging time is undoubtedly necessary to reveal the potential of this wine. The finish ties both the nose and palate together with fresh raspberries, a subtle hint of mint, and incredible freshness. Vintage Weather A relatively warm winter set the stage for another year of drought in California. Budbreak occurred early in Calistoga, increasing the risk for vine-damaging frost, but our concerns were allayed as spring proved to be mild and uneventful. As June and July arrived, the weather remained temperate providing additional hang-time for flavor maturity and color development in the fruit. As is usually the case, the light crop turned out to be of excellent quality.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate is a brilliant wine and one of the gems out there from this estate. It offers crème de cassis, crushed violets, purple iris, and white flowers, with beautifully integrated background oak. It’s deep, rich, medium to full-bodied, and seamless, with fine tannins, truly brilliant purity of fruit, and a great, great finish.

Medium to deep garnet-purple in color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate reveals vibrant cassis, crushed black plums and black raspberries notes with hints of fallen leaves, damp soil, cedar chest and charcoal plus a waft of lavender. Medium-bodied with plenty of lively, crunchy black and red fruits, it has a firm frame of ripe, grainy tannins and a long, youthful finish with the oak still standing out slightly. Give it another 2-3 years in bottle and drink it over the next 25-30+. 95+ points

Label 1 of Williams Selyem Russian River Valley Pinot Noir

 "Beautifully perfumed in aromas of rose petal and freshly turned earth, this wine is a delicious statement on the power of blending across the appellation. It shows tangy layers of boysenberry, cranberry and black tea against accents of clove, cardamom, herbes de Provence and orange peel. Virginie Boone" - 94/100, Wine Enthusiast

Stag's Leap Cask 23, 2016

The 2015 CASK 23 combines the signature perfume notes of FAY vineyard with the structure and minerality of S.L.V. The wine has complex aromas of dark fruits, dried figs, violets, hazelnuts and cocoa. Rich and opulent on the palate, this Cabernet Sauvignon has polished tannins and a very long finish packed with mixed berries, black fruits and a touch of spice.

Enjoy this CASK 23 with fennel-spiced lamb chops, rosemary roasted chicken or duck with new potatoes or creamy risotto with truffles.

Inky purple-black in color, the 2015 Cask 23 Cabernet Sauvignon (a barrel sample) has a crème de cassis, blueberry compote and licorice-scented nose with hints of bay leaves, spice box and fallen leaves. Medium-bodied, it offers lovely restraint with elegant black fruits and earthy layers plus fine-grained tannins and a wonderfully long, minerally finish.

Barrel Sample: 94-96

This features a very seductive feel, with long streaks of blueberry, raspberry and black cherry fruit showing range and freshness. Graphite and gently singed alder notes support the finish, with a backdrop of anise and vanilla hanging quietly in reserve. Displays polish, detail and length. Best from 2021 through 2040.