AXR1 NAPA CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2018 750ML

Wonderful aromas of currants, plums, lavender, slate and violets follow through to a full body with tight, chewy tannins that are polished and beautiful. Lovely texture and firmness to the opulent, vivid fruit. Opulence with form. Give this at least four or five years to come together. A blend of key single vineyards. Try after 2024.

The 2018 The Flagship comes from a cellar selection from the single vineyard cuvées and is a powerhouse of a wine in 2018. Revealing a deep purple/blue hue as well as rocking Cabernet Sauvignon notes of cassis, toasted spices, lead pencil, tobacco, and chocolate (it has an almost Pauillac-like character), it hits the palate with full-bodied richness, a deep, layered mid-palate, ripe, building, velvety tannins, and a great finish. It's a beautiful rich, concentrated Cabernet that can be drunk today, yet will be better with 3-5 years in the cellar and is going to evolve for more than two decades.

A barrel selection, “flagship” cuvee, the 2018 Cabernet Sauvignon Flagship is deep garnet-purple colored. It bursts from the glass with opulent notes of baked blackberries, warm black cherries and cassis with nuances of chocolate box, redcurrant jelly, roses and cedar chest. The full-bodied palate is jam-packed with black fruit and floral layers, framed by beautifully ripe, fine-grained tannins and seamless freshness, finishing long and fragrant.

Refined in rich red fruit, savory spice and bolts of black pepper, this lovely appellation wine shows a roundedness and length—the tannins sweet and well integrated. Dark-plum, cherry and mocha flavors layer atop the smooth texture, providing tremendous quality and complexity for the price.

This sports a very zesty edge as loganberry and boysenberry fruit paste flavors hurtle through, laced liberally with licorice root, sassafras and sweet bay leaf accents, with a brambly hint adding more energy to the frankly grippy finish. This is fun now for its rambunctious profile, but should benefit from a bit of cellaring.