Mount Veeder Winery, Napa Valley (California) Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

 Mount Veeder Cab is one of the best values in Napa Valley Cabernet, consistently delivering quality comparable to wines that cost $50 or more.  The 2009 is particularly good, thanks to its ripe fruit character, its well-knit texture of soft, fleshy tannin, and its concentration of flavor within its full body.  Complexity of aroma and flavor — earthy and mineral notes accenting the dark fruitiness — is further evidence of the wine’s quality.  Only the slightly-too-evident 14.5% alcohol disinclines me from scoring the wine higher; if you have a higher threshold for alcohol than I do, you will probably find it all the more enjoyable.  This wine is delicious now and can surely age nicely for five-plus years.