Cakebread Cellars, Howell Mountain (Napa Valley, California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

 This is a show-stopper.  It is broodingly dark and very dense on the palate, and yet the wine is extremely generous in both aroma and flavor, with a soft texture that proves more inviting than forbidding.  The fruit notes are all dark in tone–blackberry and black current–and yet again there’s a soft sweetness and a textural roundness that is enduringly endearing.  Obviously this is a big-ticket wine, but also one that really delivers the goods. Platinum award winner at the San Diego International Wine Competition.