Another lovely wine from Ulysses, a property which is rapidly establishing itself as one of Napa's top addresses. The 2014 reveals a complex bouquet of briary fruit tones, wild plum and rich soil. On the palate the tannins are beautifully fine-grained, powdery and ample - a powerful but elegant frame for the wine's vivid fruit. Drinking Window 2022 - 2040

The 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon, which was aged for 17 months in 45% new French oak, is a blend of 92% Cabernet Sauvignon and the rest Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. The wine is dense purple, with sweet cedar wood, unsmoked cigar tobacco, crème de cassis, and black raspberries in a classic, almost St.-Julien/Pauillac style. This emerged from a valley floor vineyard on the west side of Napa, where Christian Moueix told me that 2014 was characterized by generally slightly higher than average temperatures for the summer with only minor heat spikes in June and July. August and September went off without a hitch, and the harvest took place during the month of September. This full-bodied wine will hit its peak in 3-5 years and last for 25-30.