United States Red Wine ()

Sleek and slender, but fleshy enough to deliver cinnamon-accented cherry flavors, showing a hint of coffee as the finish lingers. Deftly balanced. Drink now through 2017. -- 90 points, Wine Spectator

Alexander Valley Vineyards Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was one of the first wines we produced in 1975 and three and a half decades later it is still our flagship wine. From the beginning our Cabernet stood apart from other California cabs because it was an elegant old world style wine.

What’s always been different about Sin Zin is that it’s never been a novelty wine. Over the years, the elegant, rich flavor of this Alexander Valley Zinfandel has landed it on the wine lists of many restaurants...

Apothic Red is bold and enchanting, as it captures the dark fruit characteristics of Syrah and Zinfandel. These jammy flavors blend well with the elegant blackberry and black cherry characteristics of the Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The wine is further enhanced by undertones of mocha and vanilla.

This wine typically starts life out as a young, tannic puppy, and although it has ripe flavors and a suppleness that can handle rich meats and cheeses, it's best to cellar it. This vintage is quite undeveloped, wrapped in tannic astringency, but with a hopeful core of fruit that should age well from 2008 on.

Another brilliant offering is the 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon Georges de Latour Private Reserve. It possesses a dense ruby/purple color along with terrific structure, lots of creme de cassis, minerality, beautiful purity of black currants and cherries, a judicious touch of oak, and a full-bodied, structural profile that is almost Bordeaux-like. This complete, rich and promising effort should be a 25-30-year wine.

Made from 100% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Rutherford Cabernet spent 14 months in a combination 50% French oak, 30% American oak, and 30% Hungarian oak, 40% new barrels and 60% used. Although drinking beautifully right now, this wine has the potential to age gracefully for several years.