1 | Wine | New Arrivals, Napa Valley, 86 or higher

"Montelena’s 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate wraps around the palate with serious depth. Even with all of its intensity, the 2009 has a silkiness that makes it incredibly delicious at this early stage. Red berries, flowers, tobacco and sweet herbs all flesh out on the generous, radiant finish. While many 2009s are a bit tight today, Montelena’s 2009 Estate is showing very nicely, although it is keeping some cards close to the vest. I imagine the 2009 will start to enter its prime drinking window around age 8-10 and drink well for at least another decade beyond that."

"The 2009 Cabernet Sauvignon flows from the glass with plums, black cherries, graphite, grilled herbs and smoke. This fleshy, up-front Cabernet Sauvignon shows fabulous overall balance and harmony in a style best enjoyed over the next decade or so."

"Beautifully proportioned, with a rich mix of currant, blackberry, dried herb, mocha, cedar and tobacco flavors. This is also very tightly structured, worthy of a long decant or short-term cellaring."

"Rich and meaty, with a dense, gutsy core of loamy earth, dried herb and berry, and tobacco. Firm and structured, harboring compact mountain-grown fruit that will reward cellaring."

"The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon is brighter, fresher and more vibrant than the 2009. Black cherries, mocha, violets, licorice and graphite all jump from the glass. The 2010 is quite typical of the vintage in its verve, cut, focus and minerality. This is a terrific showing."

"Bright ruby-red. High-pitched aromas of cassis, blackberry, licorice pastille and violet. Round, suave and lush but with lovely inner-mouth lift to the cassis and chocolate flavors. Serious depth here, and quite ripe for 2010. Finishes seamless, subtle and long, with suave, chocolatey tannins. This youthfully medicinal blend seems built for a graceful evolution in bottle."

"Sweet red berries, flowers, mint and licorice all come to life in this fleshy, generous and totally inviting Cabernet".

"Rough-hewn, dense and chewy, with a strong herbal presence mixed with drying sage, dark berry and underbrush notes. Rustic and rugged".

"As outstanding as all the Abreu wines are, if I had to choose one that stands apart from the others it would be Thorevilos. The 2008 Thorevilos is the most complete and deeply satisfying of Abreu’s 2008s because the balance of fruit and structure is so impeccable. The 2008 literally explodes onto the palate with masses of dark fruit, tar, licorice and smoke. There is a fleshiness and depth of the fruit here that separates the Thorevilos from the other 2008s. Layers of fruit build towards the massive, masculine finish."

"A gorgeous, totally voluptuous wine, the 2009 Insignia bursts from the glass with exuberant blue and black fruit, grilled herbs, cloves and cassis. In 2009, the Insignia is silky and polished, yet there is considerable underlying tannin that needs time to soften. Layers of fruit flow effortlessly to the huge, structured finish. I imagine the 2009 Insignia will enjoy a broad drinking window. It is striking today, but also clearly has the stuffing to age for many, many years."