Nickel & Nickel, Oakville (Napa Valley) Cabernet Sauvignon 2008

 This vintage of Martin Stelling Vineyard Cab from Nickel & Nickel isn’t as immediately inviting nor as hedonistically perfumed as some more recent vintages, but it is no less wonderful. It’s loaded with brooding, black-fruited aromas of blackberry and cassis, with a backnote of spice and mocha, firm tannins beneath the beautifully layered fruit, and a long, lingering finish. This is a massive wine of extraordinary complexity. The nose eventually blossoms as the wine is aerated; not surprising given that I peg this as a wine not likely to reach its peak for at least 15-18 years, perhaps longer.