Reviews

This is notably more complex than the 2011 Russian River Valley with its layered mix of red and blue pinot fruit, spice and soft briar notes. There is good volume to the very generous and round medium-bodied flavors that are shaped by riper tannins on the dusty and mouth coating finish. This could easily be enjoyed young though there is enough underlying material to suggest that 3 to 5 years of cellar time would be rewarded.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon Generations is an homage to the five generations of the Raymond family that began making wines in Napa Valley in 1876. Its deep ruby/plum color is followed by abundant notes of black currants, a sweet core of fruit, medium to full body, ripe tannins and dusty, loamy notes. Enjoy this excellent Cabernet over the next 15 years.

pretty and attractively restrained, even cool nose fuses together notes of plum, violets, blue pinot fruit and red currant aromas. The round and very generous flavors retain a reasonably good sense of detail and fine mid-palate concentration, all wrapped in a finish that offers solid if not perfect balance as well as good depth and length. There is a hint of acid tang but I suspect that this will become less obvious with a year or two of bottle age.

The 2010 Cabernet Sauvignon St. Helena District Collection possesses a dark ruby/purple color as well as sweet black currant and kirsch-like fruit, medium body, very good concentration, spice and wood notes and moderate tannin. A big improvement over pre-Boisset vintages, this attractive 2010 can be drunk now and over the next decade.

The 2011 Cabernet Sauvignon Generations is slightly green with herbal undertones. Spicy and peppery with red and black currant fruit, soft tannin and very good balance, it’s the herbaceous character that kept my score low. Some readers may enjoy this more than I did.

Classic ruby. A ripe and restrained nose of red berries and subtle spice notes leads to energetic and well-detailed middle weight flavors that culminate in a dusty, clean and ever-so-mildly austere finish. There is a trace of warmth to the acceptably complex and agreeably persistent finale that is slightly attenuated.

A moderately high-toned nose features notes of raspberry, cranberry and red cherry leads to opulent and very rich medium weight flavors that possess noticeable mid-palate sweetness that is contrasted against a slightly odd finish that displays an unusual sweet/dry/bitter character. In this case it is less pronounced than in the Thornton but it’s present all the same.

A cool yet ripe nose of attractively complex aromas of red pinot fruit, plum, spice and violets complements the suave and very round medium-bodied flavors that possess a clean and moderately dry finish of average depth and length. Like a number of wines in the range there is a hint of bitterness but in this case it’s sufficiently slight that it may dissipate with a year or so in bottle and my score offers the benefit of the doubt.

Elegant and balanced, with toasted red currant aromas and lively cherry, tomato leaf and spice flavors that finish soft, showing ripe tannins. Drink now through 2017. 1,981 cases made. —T.F.

Lightly nutty, with a toasted almond note followed by yellow apple and shortbread flavors. A dried pineapple hint shows on the finish.