($90): Grgich Hills, world famous for their Chardonnays, also produce stunning Cabernet Sauvignon.  This is the first release of a specially selected Cabernet that comes from Austin’s Vineyard, which surrounds the winery in Rutherford.  As you’d expect from a Napa Valley Cabernet, it’s full of flavor.  It’s an opulent wine that’s not overdone, heavy or alcoholic.  In a word, it’s balanced, with silky tannins, which is exactly what you’d expect from Grgich Hills.  The combination of power and a suave texture is what makes this wine sing.  Not an over ripe fruit bomb, it has an appealing slightly tarry bitterness in the finish.  Amazingly enjoyable now, I have no doubt that cellaring it for a decade will reward your patience.
94 Michael Apstein Oct 6, 2015