The 2018 Bel Canto is a Cabernet Franc-dominated blend that includes 17% Merlot. As with the Camerata, it spent 23 months in 50% new oak. Gorgeous notes of cassis and ripe black cherry fruits as well as leafy herbs, forest floor, iron, tobacco, and spice all soar from the glass, and this head-turning beauty is full-bodied, with a seamless texture, ultra-fine tannins, and a great, great finish. It's one of the finest wines I've ever tasted from Ben Smith and should be snatched up by readers! It's going to keep for 15+ years or more. Wow.

Always a Right Bank style of wine, the sumptuous 2018 Bel Canto Cara Mia Vineyard blends 73% Cabernet Franc and the remainder Merlot, all sourced from the Cara Mia vineyard on Red Mountain. The red rose petal aromatics from the Cabernet Franc really sing, as red currants, dusty soils and black cherry cordial tones all take shape in the glass. The palate is soft and shows great depth, a silky mouthfeel and beautiful length. Refined tannins line a beautiful core of red and dark fruits with cocoa powder, scorched earth and tobacco leaf undertones. This is quite frankly one of the great wines made this vintage. Give it at least an hour’s decant before consuming. -- Owen Bargreen

For decades, winemaker Ben Smith has had a love affair with Cabernet Franc from Red Mountain. This wine, where the variety comprises 73% with the rest Merlot, shows why. The aromas are a complete delight, with notes of raspberry, moist earth, flowers and berries. The flavors are layered and pure, showing great texture. It's showy, but with no shortage of structure. SEAN P. SULLIVAN