2011 Bevan Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Mountain

The 2011 Proprietary Red Sugarloaf Mountain is an intriguing blend of 52% Cabernet Franc and 48% Merlot. Notes of tobacco leaf, crushed rocks, graphite, forest floor, plums, violets, espresso, black cherries and black currants jump from the glass of this deep, full-bodied, opulent wine. It is nearly impossible to believe it came from the 2011 vintage. However, it is precocious and evolved, so consume it over the next 7-8 years. I continue to be blown away by the wines from Russell Bevan and his partner, Victoria de Cresenzo. (I’ll save my reviews of the Bevan Cellars wines from Sonoma appellations for the December issue when I will be writing an extensive report on that viticultural area.) These are by no means shy wines, but their richness and complexity are remarkable. Despite their massive size, concentration and density, they reveal tremendous polish, finesse and elegance. I tasted five barrel samples of 2012s, and all of them were almost beyond belief in their richness, bombastic fruit and remarkable intensity and purity combined with amazing polish and delineation. Two cuvees that have the potential to merit perfect scores include the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Harbison Vineyard (300 cases produced) from Oakville and the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Vineyard 6110 (225 cases) from Stags Leap. Tel. (707) 542-0123