Staglin Family Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 (75cl, 14.9%)

An estate Cabernet blend from Rutherford, Napa Valley, made from 87% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Cabernet Franc and 3% Petit Verdot. The vineyard is farmed organically under CCOF certification, and the wine is vinified and aged in French oak in an underground facility powered by solar energy. The nose opens with juicy red berries, then tar, asphalt and licorice, lifted by violets and fresh mint. On the palate, dense blackberry and dark jammy cherry give full body and concentration, with mocha and blueberry jam carried by structural tannins through a saline core. The finish is long, with clove spice and saline minerality and polished tannic grip.