Ramey Jericho Canyon Vineyard Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2004

Revealing exceptional intensity, along with a flamboyant, open-knit personality, the 2002 Jericho Canyon Proprietary Red (two-thirds Cabernet Sauvignon and one-third Merlot, and a tiny dollop of Cabernet Franc) exhibits a deep purple color along with the sweet fruit, and juicy, smoky bacon fat notes intermixed with creosote, cregrave;me de cassis, scorched earth, and toasty oak. This voluptuously-textured 2002 can be drunk now of cellared for 15+ years.

This wine starts with a dense, rich core of fleshy, mocha-laced currant, fresh earth, plum and blackberry fruit, then it firms up with rich, chewy tannins, but the flavors push through on the finish, revealing added facets of depth and concentration. Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2007 through 2012.

The profound 2002 Jericho Canyon Vineyard Proprietary Red is of Bordeaux first-growth quality. Loaded with blackberry and cedary black currant fruit, huge body, undeniable elegance as well as purity, and a 60-second finish, this wine may merit a three-digit score in a few years.

Deep red-ruby. Superripe aromas of roasted currant and tobacco. Lush and seamless on the palate but considerably less fat and more refined than the Diamond Mountain offering. The black fruit and mineral flavors are sharply focused if distinctly less evolved than those of the Diamond Mountain. Finishes with substantial palate-saturating tannins and excellent structure.

Saturated bright ruby. Higher-pitched, more primary aromas of blackberry, blueberry, violet, minerals, bitter chocolate and graphite. Wonderfully sweet and suave in the mouth, with good energy and focus. This, too, is carrying 15+% alcohol, but maintains its balance nicely. The tannins here are powerful but refined. Offers very strong potential. (A retaste of the 2001s showed that the rsquo;01 version of this wine was likewise sappier and more mineral-driven than the Diamond Mountain bottling, which showed a thicker texture and a note of smoked meat.)