Usually my favorite in many vintages, the 2014 Cabernet Sauvignon Mt. Veeder is the most backward of the 2014s and actually seems to require 4-5 years of bottle age. The wine has the telltale signs of Mt. Veeder – blackberry and blueberry fruit infused with considerable floral nuances. This wine has all that, then hits the palate with a cascade of glycerin, fruit extraction, and layers of blackberry and blueberry fruit. It is full-bodied and opulent, but finishes with some structure and ripe tannin. This is a magnificent wine – full-throttle, extremely pure, and incredibly well-balanced. Give it 5-6 years of bottle age and drink it over the following three decades.

85% Cabernet Sauvignon, 9% Merlot, 4% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec. Dark crimson. Meaty, Marmite nose and then very sweet and a bit diffuse on the palate. Lively, slightly vegetal finish. Very ambitious and more readable than the Howell Mountain 2014. Still quite tannic. (JR)