Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley 2007

Intense and vibrant, with a tight band of spicy currant, anise, mineral and sage. Young and backward, it needs time to soften and evolve. Best from 2004 through 2012.

Black as midnight, and stains the side of the glass. This is a big, extracted wine with plenty of body. Potent Cabernet aromas of black currants, tar, tobacco and herbs explode from the glass, along with lots of sweet oak.

(Barrel tasting) Dark, rich and plush, with an unusual display of fruit opulence; polished blackberry, huckleberry and raspberry fruit is lush, deeply concentrated and long on the finish. Toasty oak adds a fascinating dimension.

(Barrel tasting) A big, rich, tannic youngster, packed with violet, currant, black cherry, pepper and blackberry fruit, turning tannic and austere.

A superlative vintage for Cabernet Sauvignon on the mountain created a phenomenally extracted wine with uncommon depth of ruby color. In fact, a common description is that it's darker than ink. This Cabernet literally gushes with ripe aromas of black cherries and blackberry, punctuated by mountain spiciness of mint and camphor. Broad and expansive on the midpalate, flavors of roasted espresso and layers of chocolate mingle with soft, supple tannins that pleasantly coat the mouth and betray the wine's youth at bottling. These flavors linger seemingly forever in the finish. The bottle aging potential for this Cabernet Sauvignon can be measured in decades.

The outstanding 1998 Cabernet Sauvignon boasts a dark, ruby/purple color as well as surprising opulence for a wine from this vintage, admirable elegance, abundant black currant fruit, a dense, chewy, mid-palate, a fleshy texture, low acidity, and a tannic finish. It is a classic Cabernet Sauvignon with medium weight, as well as outstanding ripeness, richness, and balance. Drink it over the next 12 years.

Dark-colored, with rich mocha, exotic spice, blackberry, cedar, black cherry and currant aromas, it slowly builds intensity and depth and reveals a tight core of deeply concentrated flavors supported by firm, rich tannins. Best from 2005 through 2012.