• Arrowood deserves a lot more credit than he often gets for his Cabernet Sauvignons, which are long-lived. Some of the early Château St. Jean Cabernet Sauvignons have stood the test of time, and those made under the Arrowood label, especially his Reserves, are 30+ year wines at the minimum. The 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Estate, which is 94% Cabernet Sauvignon and 6% Petit Verdot, is brilliant. Notes of graphite, crème de cassis, blueberry and blackberry along with some espresso are all present in this dense, full-bodied wine with great fruit, beautiful purity and moderately high tannins. There are just under 1,600 cases. This wine ideally needs another 2-3 years of bottle age and should drink well for 25-30 years.

2012 Emmolo Merlot Napa Valley

• Although this winery has been around since 1944, I am unfamiliar with its wines. Packaged in an interesting bottle with a label sporting green ink, this 2012 Merlot is made in an explosively rich, blockbuster style. Its opaque purple color is accompanied by oodles of blackcurrant and black cherry fruit intertwined with hints of espresso and chocolate. Full-bodied and super-rich, but not overly extracted or astringent, this beautifully made, full-throttle, pedal-to-the-metal Merlot should wine the hearts and minds of many California wine enthusiasts. It is the complete package – from aromatics to an impressive entry, a full, savory mid-palate, and a long finish. Kudos to producer Jenny Wagner. It should drink well for 10-12+ years.

2012 Round Pond Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Estate

• The 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford shows a black cherry and kirsch-like component often seen in top Rutherford Cabernets, with an almost Margaux-like delicacy and a dense ruby/purple color. It has a medium to full-bodied mouthfeel, sweet tannins, beautiful purity and texture and incremental richness that builds gently and graciously. This is a gorgeous 2012 to drink over the next 10-15 years.

2013 Meander Cabernet Sauvignon

• There are 244 cases of the 2013 Cabernet Sauvignon Napa, which comes from two sites, the Morisoli Vineyard in Rutherford and the Lewelling Ranch in St. Helena. This wine displays classic notes of crème de cassis, tobacco leaf, spice box and good, subtle background oak. The color is a healthy, dense ruby purple and the wine medium to full-bodied, with no hard edges. It is best drunk over the next 10-12 years.
  
  Cannot be shipped.  Must be present to win.  Must be 21+.