2009 Coeur de Vallee Cabernet Sauvignon

A warm vintage with heat spikes, and the fruit character is luscious and generous, with creamy raspberry and black cherry fruits, muscular tannins that are now elongated and stretch out through the palate. Smoked caramel, gentle waves of truffle aromatics, plenty in common with the 2007 vintage. 85% new oak, native yeast fermentation, bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Ruby-red. Pure but reticent aromas of black fruits, flowers, spices and graphite. Dense, suave and savory, offering a restrained sweetness along with lovely inner-mouth saline mineral and spicy lift. This boasts the pliancy and refined mouthfeel of a great site vinified with respect. Finishes with broad, smooth, chewy tannins and superb slowly building length. Its captivating sweetness gives it great appeal right now but it should continue to evolve beautifully for another 15 years. I may be splitting hairs, but I didn't find quite the focus or cut Passionnément, which represents a barrel selection from both Oakville bench and Knights Valley sites. (15.2% alcohol; from Beckstoffer To Kalon Vineyard)

The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Coeur de Vallée is wonderfully open, silky and expressive from start to finish. Freshly cut flowers, red berries, mint and sweet spices all make an appearance in this polished, hugely refined Cabernet. Hints of tobacco and cedar add to the overall impression of pure refinement. In 2009, the Coeur de Vallée includes 24% Cabernet Franc, which gives the wine much of its sensual inner perfume and sweetness.