A cooler year in the vineyard allows a winemaker to play with aromatic and flavor nuances that may be lost in warmer seasons. This lovely offering shows the trademark raspberry, fresh plum and dusty cocoa tones that personify its Rutherford origins, but with more subtle, graceful notes of sweet anise, cinnamon bark and bayberry adding complexity that only a slow-ripening vintage like 2011 could produce. Texturally, this 100% Cabernet has enough backbone to lenda serious basenote of power, yet shows restraint and finesse despite the complex flavors. The finish lingers with flavors of warm plum and vanilla, with a hint of toasty oak.
