Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap District Clone 7 2006

From one of the very finest vineyards for growing Cabernet comes this big, rich and complex wine.

Smooth, ripe and polished, with a pretty core of spicy plum and currant fruit and a touch of blackberry, it wins points for its elegance and grace, with a long, smooth, flavorful finish. Drink now through 2009.

Seductively sweet, with ripe currant and cherry fruit framed by fancy oak, yet underlying tannins kick in the midway. Nowhere near its maximum integration; best left alone through 2008 to develop nuance.

Has those textbook Napa tannins, soft and luxurious but complex, and a pretty edge of fine oak, but can't quite overcome a hollowness in the middle. The first flavor of cassis leads to high expectations, but the finish turns thin and tannic.

Austere, with creamy mocha, currant and black cherry fruit that picks up a touch of herb and mineral before veering toward dryness on the finish, pushing out the tannins. Decant. Drink now through 2010.

The 2001 Cabernet Sauvignon Stags Leap exhibits a medium deep ruby color along with a pretty nose of red and black currants, spice, and cedar. Medium-bodied, subtle, clean flavors of earth and wood are also present. Drink it over the next 7-8 years.

This is Chimney Rock's best Stags Leap Cabernet since the 2005, and continues a string of successful vintages. Dry and smooth and silky in the mouth, it's pretty tannic, but very rich, offering waves of cherry, blackberry, blueberry, cocoa and sweet cedar flavors. Absolutely delicious, wonderfully elegant, and should age well for a decade.