1 | Wine | Page 413

"The 1999 Taurasi Radici Riserva is simply beautiful. Sweet dried cherries, licorice, menthol and spices waft from the glass. Made in an elegant style, this complex Riserva shows some of the slightly advanced and oxidized flavors one might reasonably expect from 10 year-old wine, yet the balance is utterly compelling. The finish is long, sweet and ethereal, as pretty suggestions of mint come back to frame the wine beautifully."

"An intensely perfumed bouquet displays dark berry preserves, cherry-cola, vanilla and woodsmoke. Lush, palate-coating blackberry and boysenberry flavors are complicated by notes of licorice and candied violet. Shows very good intensity on the gently tannic finish, which clings with noteworthy tenacity."

"One of the very best values in Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Cru bursts from the glass with dark red cherries, plums and tobacco. The 2010 is totally gorgeous from start to finish. There is more than pure vibrancy and freshness to support the generous, opulent fruit in this striking, beautifully delineated Cabernet Sauvignon. Winemaker Keith Emerson crafts the Cru bottling from a variety of vineyards across Napa Valley."

"Subtle and racy, with lemon rind, vanilla cream and dried pineapple. Very spicy and intense. Full-bodied, with great length and flavor. Electrified yet refined, with medium sweetness and a wonderful finish. I love the class of this, and the length. Has afterburners."

"The 2010 Pinot Noir is surprisingly juicy for the vintage. Black cherries, spices and flowers burst from the glass in this deep, expressive Pinot. The wine reveals gorgeous depth and purity all the way through to the resonant finish."