The 1997 vintage in Napa was epic and the fruit that went into this baseline Cab bottling from Clos du Val was sourced from estate vines in the Stags Leap district and neighboring vineyards. One of the nice things about baseline (non-reserve) bottlings for me is they tend to have a slightly lower percentage of new oak so the fruit gets a better chance to shine. This wine is at peak maturity now, the nose is full of powerful black cassis which follows through on the palate and opens up to reveal blackberry, plum, and black raspberry. The body is tannic with lots of structure, and the wine threw a lot of sediment. I love these 375ml bottles -- but finding any 1997s are tough these days... $55 (750ml); 92 points.
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