Cornerstone Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2009

Fairly intense black fruit greets the nose supported by notes of lead pencil, vanilla, and dried herbs, all topped with a nice dusty earth note. Rich and yet slightly tight in the mouth, this delivers good depth of flavor, wrapping black currant and black plum fruit in assertive but not overpowering wood spice and topping it all off with aromatic herbal notes in the mouth. The tannins here are firm and slightly assertive, but well buffered by rich fruit with plenty of acidity to keep things juicy. Late arriving notes of mushroom and truffle along with a hint of black pepper add complexity that lingers on the finish, which shows off black currant fruit with a hint of herbs, and a slight touch of heat as well. 91pts

This is intense and complex with noticeable toasty oak framing deep, earthy currant fruit that shows a classic green, eucalyptus edge. Really open and complex with classic notes of green tobacco and warm spices framing black currant fruit. Big, soft, gauzy fruit in the mouth, red currant and black cherry backed up with pipe tobacco and toasty spice, lovely balance and freshness with a nice austere edge to the non-intrusive tannins. This may lack a touch of complexity but the purity of the fruit makes up for it. On the finish nice shadings of tobacco and cocoa add depth to the fruit and the finale showcases a soft herbal note. 93pts

tobacco, moist earth, subtle dried floralnotes, a bit fudgy, French oak, blackberry fruit, - big and seamless with gobs of fruit but balanced and not overtly sweet, classy and balanced tannins are fine and polished but there is a touch of splintery wood tannin to lose. Dark fruit is spicy with a bit of lingonberry to the black berry black cherry with background notes of earth, spice and a hint of orange oil in chocolate, a bit hot on the finish which is wuite long and deeply fruited but is a bit of a let down after the balance on the palate. 92pts