2004 Cariad Cabernet Sauvignon

(15.6% alcohol): Deep red-ruby color. Aromas of black raspberry, plum, truffley earth and smoky oak are accented by flowers and dried herbs. Supersweet, plush and silky; in a distinctly glyceral style, with outstanding depth to its dark fruit and underbrush flavors. Finishes with glossy tannins and superb length.

The 2004 Cariad, a blend of 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot, 10% Petit Verdot and 8% Cabernet Franc, was made from fruit purchased from David Abreu’s vineyards, most of it coming from his St. Helena property, the Madrona Ranch. Always one of the most aromatically complex wines, the 2004 comes across as a Graves-like offering with enormous notes of scorched earth, a hot rocks sort of nose and meaty black currant and black cherry fruit. Some tannins are still left, but the wine is round, generously endowed, full-bodied and opulent with terrific complexity. Drink it over the next 10 years. This spectacularly beautiful estate high on Pritchard Hill with magnificent views in just about every direction has been on a qualitative tear for many years. From their humble beginnings at the co-op Napa Wine Company (their first releases were in the early 1990s), to the construction of their winery and estate vineyard, quality has soared. Tel. (707) 524-4445

Good full ruby. Black cherry, black raspberry, smoked meat, tar and shoe polish on the nose; like a Medoc wine on steroids. Then superconcentrated and sweet but not at all roasted or hot. In fact, this claret-like 2004 is currently dominated by its powerful structure and seems a bit youthfully tight-a positive sign for its likely evolution in bottle. Finishes extremely long, with slowly building tannins and a lingering flavor of dark raspberry.