A deep-pile plush carpet of a Cabernet from Washington this is smooth and velvety with layer upon layer of juicy blackberry prune plum spice and vanilla flavors that linger beautifully and get richer with each sip. Tempting now but likely best from 2002 or so. 2500 cases made. –HS

The bright ruby-colored 1994 Cabernet Sauvignon has beguiling aromas of cassis jam and vanilla cream. This beautifully ripe wine is explosive chewy medium-to-full-bodied and hedonistic. Its flavor profile filled with candied black raspberries cherries coconut and caramel represents liquid decadence. More decadent than intellectual it will take tasters to levels of pleasure rarely attained. Projected maturity: now-2004.I love drinking Leonetti's wines especially when they are young. Figgins' offerings consistently qualify as some of the world's best drinking reds. They are candied oak bombs that satisfy my cravings for uninhibited pleasure. However having tasted through a number of older releases I do not believe these wines can be considered ageworthy. With time the explosive sultriness of the fruit and copious oak spices lose their exuberant youthful qualities. The wines while still extremely pleasurable to drink do taste more subtle but this restraint makes them less interesting and fun. For example when young the 1989 Cabernet Sauvignon Seven Hills Reserve was the sexiest sultriest and most hedonistically pleasurable Cabernet I had ever put to my lips. My score at the time was in the upper-90s today after time has tamed the wine I rate it a 90 - still outstanding and pleasurable but no longer mind-boggling. This is not a knock at Leonetti's wines. I believe the most important factor is how much pleasure a wine gives not how long it gives it. Figgins wines tend to be superb the day they are purchased so why defer your gratification?Tel. (509) 525-1428.