Crunchy blackberry, cigar box, fresh black currant. Blueberry skin, smooth graphite, mulberry pie. A gorgeously poised and pristine procession of black cherry, dark plum, and licorice prances with astounding elegance and finesse while hints of cedar, menthol, and brown tobacco seamlessly impart layers of gorgeous natural depth. Notes of carnations, lavender, and fresh violet softly materialize in a wave of pretty floral overtones gently balanced against intriguing earthy impressions of gravel and stony soil. Suggestions of espresso, hazelnut, and dark chocolate reveal just a pinch of perfectly-integrated opulence further enhanced by cinnamon, nutmeg, and subtle baking spices. Impressively complex, deep, and nuanced on the palate while remaining extraordinarily balanced and restrained; exhibiting an old world-esque and decidedly classic style that prioritizes purity and unmanipulated authenticity over sheer power or weight. Solidly medium in body with elevated tannin cut by deliciously high acidity. This 2016 Estate Cabernet Sauvignon by Grimm's Bluff is an amazingly intriguing and age worthy red from Happy Canyon of Santa Barbara.

Though most modern California Cabernets are shaped in an unabashedly full-throttle and fruit-forward style, many producers across the Golden State are still embracing a more classic and restrained approach to this iconic red grape. This bottling, crafted by Grimm's Bluff using Cabernet Sauvignon sourced from their biodynamic estate vineyard in Happy Canyon, magnificently executes an incredible example of the now resurgent classically-styled Cali Cab. While it does contain nicely concentrated and somewhat muscular black fruits this wine is equally defined by both its depth and subtlety, as delicate cedar-led natural tones and gorgeous underlying earthiness coarse throughout its elegant yet expressive attack. This is a wine that is delicious today yet built for the long haul, and will likely still be absolutely spectacular in 50 years. Wow.