2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon - Smith Devereaux Wines

Crème de cassis, wood smoke, silky blueberry. Damson plum, lavender oil, creamy black licorice. Cool mint and roasted tobacco, graham cracker and baking chocolate. Elegant, dark, and expressive fruit leads a complex and multifaceted attack radiating black forest cherry, whipped blackberry, and açai with impressively lean concentration. Perfumed violet and high toned florals emerge in a lifted display aided by savory rumblings of sage, young cedar, and anise. Vanilla, cinnamon, and clove complement elevated baking spice that plays gently with coffee bean and toast. Red dust and volcanic soil lie in waiting beneath the initial advance imparting earthy verve and distinctly terroir-driven minerality. Quite restrained, tart, and tense while simultaneously soft and velvety; packed with plush tannin and elevated acidity that fill out its barely-full bodied frame. This 2015 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon by Smith Devereaux Wines is a well made and beautifully balanced red from Saint Helena.

Located near the northern end of Napa Valley between Spring Mountain and Howell Mountain, the town and appellation of Saint Helena has long been considered one of California's premier regions for premium quality Cabernet Sauvignon. This bottling, crafted by Smith Devereaux Wines using Cabernet sourced from within Saint Helena, is exactly the style of wine that has helped make this appellation so highly lauded. It is extremely deep and contemplative in nature, more intellectual than hedonistic, yet maintains impressive softness and approachability. It is clearly still young and very primary yet shows immense potential for development and improvement in the cellar. This is an exciting wine and an absolutely remarkable value to boot. Excellent.