Very pure, focused cabernet with bright cassis and purple-cherry aromas. Gentle mint and herbal notes, too. The palate has an elegant edge of bright, lithe and juicy cassis as well as cherries. Slick, balanced, supreme expression of vineyard here. Drink or hold.

A spitting image of a top Pauillac, the 100% Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 Grand Ciel comes from one of the top terroirs in the state, the Grand Ciel Vineyard on Red Mountain. Aged all in new French oak, its offers sensational notes of lead pencil shavings, black currants, campfire, graphite and crushed flowers. Full-bodied, seamless and incredibly elegant, yet with serious density and power, it's surprisingly approachable given its polished tannin and overall balance, yet I've no doubt it will have 2-3 decades of overall longevity. - JD

Ruby-red. Very pure, vibrant scents of blueberry, cassis and cedary oak. Densely packed, pliant and savory, conveying a restrained sweetness to the flavors of currant and spices. An outstanding example of this bottling, with a touch of pyrazine lift contributing to its impression of lift. Plush and very long, finishing with harmonious noble tannins. This wine conveys an impression of through and even ripening and has the balance and structure for graceful aging. -- Stephen Tanzer