Reviews

A blend of 77% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Syrah and 11% Petit Verdot, the 2015 Leopard is deep garnet-purple in color with very pretty red and black currants, spice box and pepper notes plus hints of smoked meats and potpourri. Medium to full-bodied, elegant, understated, savory, fresh and grainy, it's minerally with a long and perfumed finish. 192 cases produced.

Another gem from Stephanie Putnam is the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Generations. It offers a deep purple color as well as classic notes of blackcurrants, scorched earth, cassis, and a huge, gravely, earthy minerality that brings to mind the Graves region of Bordeaux. Full-bodied, concentrated and power, yet also fresh, lively and elegant, it’s a beautifully complete Napa Valley Cabernet that will have 2+ decades of longevity.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon District Collection Rutherford is blockbuster stuff that has everything going for it. Rich, full-bodied, beautifully concentrated, and still polished and elegant, it offers copious cassis, spice, toasted bread, graphite and violet aromas and flavors. As with all these wines, it’s impeccably made and has the class to keep for 15+ years.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon JCB #1 is made with the idea to highlight elegance over sheer power and it does so beautifully in 2015. Classic notes of crème de cassis, spice, toasted oak, and licorice all flow to a full-bodied, elegant, seamless red. While the idea is elegance, that doesn’t mean it lacks depth or concentration, and this beauty has the tannin, structure, and balance to keep for two decades.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, the 2015 Leopard Red Blend is truly sensational and reminds me of the Cabernet/Syrah blends from L’Aventure in Paso Robles. This gorgeous effort boasts a deep purple color as well as huge notes of smoked earth, chocolate, black currants, and smoked earth. Massively concentrated, yet balanced and light on its feet, it has sound underlying structure and big, big finish. It’s already impossible to resist yet should keep for 10-15 years.

Made as a counterpoint to the JCB #1, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon JCB #10 shows the more powerful, concentrated, structured side to Cabernet. Blackcurrants, crème de cassis, vanilla bean, scorched earth, and a hint of background oak all emerge from this big, rich, opulent beauty. With fine tannin, full-bodied richness, and a surprisingly elegant, weightless texture, it’s a gorgeous 2015 that will benefit from short-term cellaring and keep for 25+ years.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Surrealist is pure perfection in a glass. A blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% Petit Verdot brought up all in new barrels, it has a sensational perfume of crème de cassis, toasted spices, vanilla, and hints of toasty oak. With a huge, full-bodied, opulent personality, no hard edges, incredibly polished tannin, and a huge finish, this tour de force has everything you could ask for in a Napa Valley Cabernet! Drink it anytime over the coming two decades or more. Hats off to winemaker Stephanie Putnam!

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Generations is deep garnet-purple in color with an earthy, dried herbs and scorched earth-scented nose over a core of blackberry pie and cassis with Indian spices and menthol. Full-bodied, concentrated and rich in the mouth, with firm, grainy tannins and a savory/earthy character, it finishes long with a mineral hint.

Sporting a deep garnet-purple color, the 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon Oakville District Collection leaps from the glass with intense plum preserves and exotic spices notes with eucalypt, chocolate box and cedar notions. Full-bodied, rich, opulent and decadent in the mouth with grainy tannins, it finishes lively and long.

The 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon St Helena District Collection opens with a deep garnet-purple color and a savory/meaty nose of smoked bacon, earth, crème de cassis and incense with suggestions of cinnamon stick, cloves and dried flowers. The full-bodied mouth is velvety and well balanced with plenty of expressive, subtle flavor layers and a long, earthy finish.