This is a complex and subtle red with chocolate, spice and walnut aromas and flavors. Medium-to full-bodied. Tile and iron undertones. Juicy and flavorful on the finish. A beautiful, balanced red. Very fine, polished tannins. Subtle and friendly. Regional blend that shows the story of the vintage. A blend of 90% cabernet sauvignon, 6% petit verdot and 4% merlot. Drink or hold.

(95+ points) The 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille showed beautifully. Coming mostly from Red Mountain (which I think excelled in 2017), it has beautiful cassis and black cherry fruit as well as notes of violets, spring flowers, and graphite. It’s tight, medium to full-bodied, and structured on the palate, and in need of 4-5 years of bottle age.

Medium ruby. Vibrant aromas of black fruits, violet and pepper. Densely packed and plush but also sharply delineated, with the intense black fruit and saline mineral flavors boasting terrific inner-mouth perfume; there's also an exhilarating element of wildness here. As sappy as this powerful, gripping Cabernet is, it also hints at an almost candied sweetness. (Winemaker Skinner feels that the vinification in concrete was conducive for rounding out the structure of the Red Mountain fruit in this vintage and added that the year of aging in neutral oak helped the wine's texture and allowed its fruit to come through.) Spreads out horizontally to saturate the palate on the back end, finishing with broad, dusty tannins. This wine too is plusher and more concentrated than the 2016 version. (13.8% alcohol; two-thirds fermented in concrete; aging began in 75% new oak but the wine was moved into neutral barriques for a final 12 months) -- Stephen Tanzer

Oak-driven with sweet baking spices, dark cherry and freshness of fruit, the 2017 Cabernet Sauvignon Père de Famille offers bright floral aromas with notions of black plum reduction. Medium to full-bodied, the wine shows high-toned floral expressions with a firm tannic edge and a delightful mineral tension before concluding with a rich, expressive finish. It's delightful now, and I recommend drinking this one on the younger side. - Anthony Mueller

The fruit is primary at present, with notes of whole berry, blue fruit, cherry and dried herb, along with bittersweet chocolate. Focused, intensely flavorful black cherry notes follow on the palate. It's a complete stunner, winning on charm and grace rather than sheer power. The balance is impressive. Best from 2025 to 2032. SEAN P. SULLIVAN