(blended with 15% cabernet franc and 5% each merlot and petit verdot): Good deep, bright red-ruby. Bitter cherry and violet on the vibrant nose. Svelte and suave on the palate, with cool dark cherry and cassis fruit complicated by fresh herbs, flowers and a whiff of meat. Spicy minerality builds on the persistent, refreshing finish. I underrated this wine a year ago from barrel as it was extremely tight then, but I should note that the finished wine quickly went into a shell in the glass. I look forward to following this elegant, European-styled cabernet over the next 10 to 15 years.

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The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon appears to have clamped down a bit since I tasted it last year. An unusually up-front, juicy wine from Forman, the 2009 is laced with expressive dark red fruit, flowers, mint, cinnamon, licorice and menthol. There is a softness and suppleness to the 2009 that is impossible not to love. Layers of fruit continue to build on the juicy, silky finish. The 2009 looks to be one of the more accessible wines of the vintage, but it also needs at least several years to lose some of its baby fat and primary notes. The French oak is also a bit prominent, providing one clue as to the wine's ultimate potential vis-a-vis the monumental 2010. The 2009 is 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot and 5% Merlot. Anticipated maturity: 2017-2029.

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