Uppercut, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2012

This wine delivers just the sort of flavorful punch that one might expect from its name and packaging, yet it still manages to surprise, thanks to its fine balance between fruit, wood and tannin.  To be sure, this is not a shy Cabernet, and there’s a lot of oak and tannin in the mix, but the fruit is manifestly up to the challenge posed by these structural elements.  Blackberry and black current are the prominent fruit notes, and they are quite assertive at this early stage in the wine’s development, so think about a charcoal-grilled steak when looking to pour this anytime soon.  Platinum award winner at the 2014 San Diego International Wine Competition.