The blueberry, walnut, shiitake mushroom and stone aromas are impressive. Full body, chewy tannins and a solid core of fruit. Needs two or three years to resolve the tannins but excellent.

Surprisingly, this is the producer's first blended Cabernet from the appellation, though it has long made vineyard-designates there. Combining fruit from the Bosche and Sycamore sites, it opens expansively in sizable tannin and dusty oak, before interweaving spicy black pepper, leather and soft infusions of blackberry and cherry.

A wine I haven’t seen before from Freemark Abbey is the 2012 Cabernet Sauvignon Rutherford. This wine is a selection from their Bosché, Sycamore and Red Barn vineyards in Rutherford. This is a relatively small cuvée of just under 2,000 cases, but an outstanding Cabernet Sauvignon. Black olive tapenade, blackberry, black cherry, blackcurrants and licorice are all present in this full-bodied wine that also shows a touch of earth, a full-bodied mouthfeel, sweet tannin and a long finish. Interestingly, this is a blend of 83.2% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8.3% Merlot and the rest Petit Verdot and Cabernet Franc aged just over 24 months in oak. It should drink well for 15-20 years.