Grgich Hills Estate, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

 This is classic Napa Valley Cabernet, but “classic” in a traditional rather than modern mode, meaning a wine more in the style of the late 1980s than the present–back when complexity and class were valued more highly than ripeness and sheet power.  Very expressive in aroma and flavor but not obvious or overbearing in any respect, the wine shows intriguing accents of graphite, toast, woodsmoke and spices that contribute to a complexity more closely associated with the Old World than Napa Valley.  Extremely impressive.  Platinum award winner at the San Diego International Wine Competition.