2006 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley

Bright, full ruby-red. Aromas of blackberry, plum syrup and licorice, with dusty and medicinal nuances. Quite tightly wound at present, with an edge of acidity limiting the wine's sweetness today. This possesses a firm core of bitter chocolate and minerals but comes across as rather tannic now, in need of a bit more mid-palate flesh, not to mention bottle aging.

Good ruby-red. Aromas of blackcurrant, licorice, flowers and sexy, spicy oak. Sweet but youthfully tight today, with a distinctly brisk character to its flavors of currant, dark cherry, flowers and mint. Today the spicy oak element is obvious, but this firmly structured wine boasts lovely depth of fruit and excellent length. The pH here is around 3.65, or roughly the same as that of the 2005, noted winemaker Gary Brookman, who added that the 2006 season brought roughly similar growing conditions as 2005 and 2007, with no burst of heat in September.