I have little doubt that this plush and luscious Cabernet will continue to evolve if you want to keep it cellared for a while, but I don’t think you will be disappointed if you open that bottle now. Maybe you will disagree, but I loved everything about it this wine right now, including its dark, inky purple-red color, its mouth-watering aromas, and the way its flavors and textures settled gracefully on my palate. Yes, at 14.5% the alcohol is hardly subtle, but that Duckhorn Cabernet fruit is so plush, and the way those tannins sashayed so gracefully around my palate, it seemed as if the different elements were all waltzing deliciously to the same vinous tune.
Duckhorn Vineyards, Howell Mountain – Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
By Marguerite Thomas